Pony Dreams
by Fuzzyfurvert
Summary: Princess Luna knows a thing or two about nightmares and dream magic. Her duties at Night Court have become tedious. With the help of some forbidden power and a certain Element of Magic, she reaches out for the companionship and knowledge of modern Equestria she desires.
1. Chapter 1

**Pony Dreams**

by FuzzyFurvert

**Chapter One**

Canterlot Castle: Luna's Chambers

The Sun was at its zenith. All of Equestria drank in the life-giving warmth of Celestia's custom made summer heat. From on high, the land seemed a riot of colors, with the towns and cities of ponies gleaming like gems. And the crown jewel was Canterlot. The bustle of everyday life was a palpable force, as real and alive as the magic of the unicorn elites. Barkers hawked their wares and services at the market. Socialites gossiped and networked in the parks and at trendy cafes. Crews of construction ponies hammered nails, sawed wood, and moved tons of stone for whatever was being built, repaired, or demolished. The ponies of Canterlot lived, and in turn, so did their city. And above the city in the Castle, Luna could feel that force pressed against the windows, even if her drapes were pulled and tied closed. The Night Princess usually slept the day away, preferring her cool and quiet Night to the hot, loud Day.

Only a tiny bit of that warm light made its way into her tower bedroom, a single narrow ray of sunshine that had found its way under the thick curtains. It gave the deep shadows in the room an odd, under lit cast. Being far above the Castle, which was itself, farther up the slopes of the mountain, the roar of city barely reached Luna's ears. Still, even that was far too much for the Princess at this time of Day. Not that she was regularly up at noon. She would never admit it out loud, but Luna would much rather be snoring like a dragon on its hoard than clamping her eyes closed, folding her ears back, and begging for sleep to return. It was a few hours yet before she would normally wake and take her breakfast with her sister.

_Tia is probably out and about right now, seeing to the running of her kingdom. Er...OUR kingdom. _Luna silently reminded herself. She was a Princess of Equestria too, after all. She returned to that position some months earlier after the Elements of Harmony freed her from the grips of Nightmare Moon.

Celestia was very generous to accept her back, a trait the young alicorn was grateful to see still in her sister, even after the thousand years of forced separation. She was still forgiving and, now she'd become even more motherly. Their ages were not so far apart before the Nightmare seized her, something that Luna was having a little trouble dealing with. Physically, at least, she was still the same as she was before her imprisonment in the Moon. Meanwhile, Celestia had matured, becoming the great ruler the pony folk needed.

_And she's become annoyingly taller and more graceful than ever before. And what is with all the new colors in her mane? I liked it better when it was all pink. If only everypony knew what she was like before she became the great protector and mentor. Protector is a role I understand with her. But I never would have pegged Tia as the teacher type. _

That thought brought unbidden images of the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, to Luna's mind. She was Celestia's 'faithful student', the one her sister doted on. The unicorn that had replaced her as Celestia's new little sister, if Luna was being honest with herself. Twilight Sparkle was also the current Element of Magic, as well as a scholar, adventurer, and even a friend. The previous fall, on Nightmare Night, Luna had encountered Twilight in Ponyville. The experience had been all together pleasant, thanks to the Element's timely aid. Since then, Luna thought of her as a friend.

_At least I can't be replaced any longer. _Luna though glumly. _I'm Tia's REAL sister. And talented though the mare is, I'm still a Goddess too. A Goddess who has cottonmouth and what feels like pretty horrific bedhead too._

Luna tried to growl, but it sounded more like a croak mixed with a cough. She turned over and pulled her thin blanket over her head with a tiny flex of magic. She smacked her lips and coughed again, trying to clear her throat. The darkness soothed her, even though it still reminded her somewhat of her long and fitful sleep as part of the moon. Popular recounting of that 'myth' had her spending that time actually on the Moon's surface. It amused Luna from time to time to note what details were now lost to history about herself. The truth of it was far from the modern version of the story. She had slept, magically fused with the Moon itself. Celestia was kind in that respect, letting Luna dream away her imprisonment. Not that it mattered to the evil that was Nightmare Moon, but the alicorn that was Luna appreciated it.

She opened her eyes and sighed softly into her pillow. In a few more hours she would have to get up and then hold Court. Maddeningly boring Night Court. But at least it was quiet. It let her catch up on her reading, though that was almost as boring. She could watch the stars twinkle and shine whenever she pleased though. She could even eat doughnuts while on the Throne since there were hardly any interruptions. So there were perks. And even the occasional interesting petitioners. Sometimes she took off and just closed the doors, but that usually upset Celestia.

_Gah...why does it feel like the Sun is getting closer? That's impossible. Damnable thing! I need...! _Luna startled and blinked. It DID feel like the Sun was getting closer. It felt like it was marching steadily across the void of space straight towards her bedroom.

There was a quiet knock at Luna's bedroom door. It was a small sound, almost lost between the door and Luna's large four poster. The ambient light in the room didn't change, but her magical senses could feel the awesome might of her sister on the other side of the simple wooden barricade. It felt almost like gazing at the Sun up close without thousands of millions of pony strides worth of distance or an atmosphere for protection. She was almost heavy and overwhelming in her raw strength. But Celestia was like a focusing lens, collecting and controlling that fury with exacting precision. And just as suddenly as her power appeared, it vanished. A second knock told her that Celestia hadn't vanished along with it.

Either sister could keep their power in check and hidden if they wanted, walking through the world as mortal ponies. They could hide it even from each other. It let them play some pretty awe inspiring games of hide and seek as foals. Other ponies, even non-unicorns, could feel it when they made their power apparent. It usually caused them to drop whatever they were doing and bow in fawning worship. Celestia told her that was frowned upon these days. Outwardly, their appearance didn't change. Surviving historical texts claimed the Princesses' eyes would begin to glow and "all living creatures, upon sight, would supplicant themselves, such is the power of our living Goddesses." Luna knew from personal experience that that particular quote was a load of hogwash. The display was for her benefit. It let her know that Celestia was there and alone far better than a blaring fanfare of trumpets. And she knew Luna was awake when she should have been getting her rest.

_How does she even know? _Luna thought as she let her own power swell and loom like the full Moon on an autumn night. It was an instinctive response to her sister and she withdrew it a moment later.

Luna grumbled and tossed the thin midnight blue blanket back, rolling over to face the door and let her magic unlatch it. She squinted as Celestia, regal and bright as that which she controlled, walked carefully into her room. Her white coat almost glowed in the gloom of Luna's room, backlit against the hall. Celestia tapped the door gently closed behind her with one hoof and smiled warmly at Luna.

"Good afternoon, dearest sister. I felt you wake. I came to check on you." She looked at Luna, tilting her head with a loving and caring expression on her pale face. Celestia's tone was warm enough, but she sounded almost wary. As if she was momentarily unsure how to interact with her sister. Her mane hung lightly over one eye in a perfect curve and twist, looking artfully natural.

Luna's own mane was a tangled mass of midnight blue hair. With the Sun up, it remained as any other pony's, but once the Night came it would shift into a shimmering star field. She blew a strand out of her eyes, with a sigh.

"Tia, I'm fine." Luna frowned as her voice cracked. "Just a dream, that's all. Shouldn't you be off ruling or something? I'm sure there's a law that needs passing, or a noble that needs coddling."

"Actually, no. Not at the moment. I finished lunch early and have time to myself before the next meeting." Celestia glanced around the room. She hadn't been in it much since Luna had moved back in.

The room was very well furnished, with several armories and vanities, as well as comfortable seating and a small table and desk. There was a great deal of floor space still left open, even counting the bed. Pieces of the furniture were mixed styles, some old, some new, all in dark blues or purples with obsidian and ivory accents. And all hoofpicked by Luna shortly after her return. Candles and even a few posters depicting the Wonderbolts and some rather fetching stallions lined the walls, while a prodigious stuffed animal collection covered a few of the vanities. To Celestia her sister was still, in many ways, a filly. But there were also signs of her becoming a grown mare.

"I really did want to check on you. This makes the fourth time this month you've woken up fitfully in the middle of the day. It's mildly concerning. If it's related to your...imprisonment...I need to know."

Celestia was being motherly again. She meant well and sounded more like the sister Luna remembered than a Princess. But still, Luna felt irritated by it. Celestia's guilt was a burden at times. Sometimes it seemed she was walking on glass around her and holding back. Luna may have returned to the Court as a Princess, but Celestia was still the Ruler.

"I'm FINE, Tia. Sheesh." Luna folded her ears back and continued to squint at her sister. "Like you've not had a bad dream or two? It isn't important, and it's not related to anything. If it becomes related, I'll tell you."

The blue alicorn smoothed back her hair with her hoof and levitated her tiara over and on her head. It sat somewhat crookedly, which got a funny look out of her sister. "I don't want you to worry about me. Or mother me so much. I'm like, older than dirt. I'm happy for your concern, really, I am. But would you kindly back off? You are not mom."

Celestia looked momentarily hurt by the phrasing, but she sighed and lowered her eyebrows, looking decidedly annoyed.

"True, I'm not mom. But she's not here any longer. I am." Celestia's tone turned more challenging. "I'm also bigger and older than you. So suffer my concern, dear sister. It assuages my conscious. And lets me be nosy."

Celestia's tone took on a playful tilt, which only set Luna more on edge. Luna knew her sister well enough to know it was intentional. Celestia loved to micromanage and be informed. Which was a polite way of saying she liked being a know it all gossip pony. It made her a better politician. Her nosiness was a trait that set the two alicorns at odds when they were younger. Luna was at heart, a private pony.

"So...what ARE you dreaming of that wakes you?" Celestia smirked slyly and turned to gaze over Luna's desk and bedside table. Her eyes lit on Luna's diary, but she made a pointed move to look elsewhere before looking back at her younger sister.

"Nothing. I dunno. I don't remember my own dreams well. Not like I remember everypony else's." Luna tried to keep the lying tone, unsuccessfully from her voice. Celestia would know. She always knew when Luna lied, which led Luna to be vague as often as possible with her sister.

"Hmmm..." Celestia chewed her lip, thinking for a moment. "Do you still do that? See other ponies' dreams, I mean? You know you aren't supposed to use that power Lulu. It can influence the dreamer too much. I'd rather not endanger your reputation so soon after your return."

"I know." Luna swallowed and sighed, forcing herself up. If she was going to be awake, then she was going to get something to drink.

Her bed side table held a couple of goblets and a magically cooled pitcher of water. Servants came by every morning and refilled it for her with snowmelt water from the peak above them. The Princess floated a filled cup to herself, glancing at Celestia to see if she wanted any. Her sister watched her but gently shook her head. After gulping it down, Luna turned to her sibling.

"And you know it's a useless power." Luna set down her goblet, her dark navy colored aura fading from it. She looked down at her unshod hooves and lifted one to idly examine it. "I can only interact with the dreams of those who dream of me first. And my control of the dreamscape doesn't matter. The dreamer is normally unaware of it."

Luna dropped her hoof and rolled her head back in exasperation. "I can TRY to influence them, but unless they remember their dreams when they wake, AND listen to a character in them, then it's all just cheap entertainment. Just a silly dream starring yours truly."

Now it was Celestia that sighed and rolled her eyes. This was an old argument of theirs. It led to the fight where Celestia first met the evil that infected Luna all those years ago. She knew, now, that Luna was right. But still, she had a country to protect. The thought of this little piece of info getting out among the public could put a panic on their hooves and ruin any trust the ponies might develop for Luna.

"I understand Lulu. But please, for me?" Celestia batted her eyelashes and pouted with a quivering lower lip. Getting Luna to smile or laugh would always win her the argument.

Luna smirked at Celestia's childish display and sighed tiredly. She hung her head, horn pointed at the floor for a moment before looking up and yawning exaggeratedly. She suddenly felt sleepy again and longed for her bed and darkness.

"Sure, sis."

"Thank you, Lulu. I'm sorry for disturbing you. Get some sleep. You have Court tonight. I'll see you at dinner." Celestia smiled sisterly at the smaller alicorn.

Luna nodded, yawning again and heading for her pile of pillows, blankets, and stuffed parasprites. Celestia watched her flop down and pull the blanket up to her chin. Luna was out like a light in just a few seconds. Celestia removed the young mare's tiara and set it aside before giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She checked the drapes to make sure the light would stay out and then let herself out, her magic closing and latching the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Canterlot Castle: Luna's Chambers

Sleep didn't keep her nearly long enough. Her dreams were pleasant after her noon awakening. The hours flashed by unseen, and suddenly she could feel the Sun touch the horizon, going off like some sort of great fiery alarm between her ears. The approaching Night called to her sweetly, making Luna long for Moonrise. However, dinner, or breakfast in her case, was to be attended to first. Years upon years of practice had taught her that guiding the Moon on an empty stomach was not impossible, just rather uncomfortable.

Luna groaned and rolled off the bed, her hooves hitting the thick black carpet with a quadruple set of muffled thuds. She yawned and blinked several times to remove the sleep from her eyes. Checking herself in the full length mirror beside her bed, Luna decided she didn't like what looked back at her. With the Sun still in the sky, her mane was in its 'hair' mode and tangled even worse than before.

_Even with good dreams, it seems I'm tossing and turning a lot. Maybe I need a new pillow or something?_

The air around Luna's horn shimmered in a dark navy hue as several different brushes and short bristle combs burst from her nearest vanity and started zipping about her like a flight of swallows, darting in to comb her unruly mane and tail. Then out came her toothbrush and Luna's favorite flavored paste. The princess bared her teeth in a bored grimace while it worked up thick foam in her mouth. The short bristle combs smoothed her coat at the same time and made her Moon Cutie Mark shine in the waning light.

_Speaking of which..._ Luna gargled and spit in a most un-Princess-like manner into a levitated wide basin. Her magical aura tugged on the drapes, letting them fall open and pull back, which let in more of the dying light of the Sundown. It was a sight she always enjoyed. Celestia painted such a pretty sky with reds and oranges, light blues, pink hues, and yellows. From her tower room, Luna could even spy a group of pegasi ponies crafting a fanciful crashing wave cloud sculpture. In the dusk, it looked like frozen fire.

_I can see more and more of how her style has changed with every Sundown. It's just like Tia herself…mature and confident. It commands attention without being too showy. _Luna sighed. _When did you grow up, sis? And why do you still treat me like a foal?_

A small chime from the clock on the wall reminded Luna of the time. She looked into her vanity mirror once more and nodded to herself, satisfied with her appearance. She regarded her abacus on the desk like a favored pet and physically pushed one bead over with the tip of her horn. One more day accounted for in her reclaiming an eon lost. Luna stepped into her silvery shoes and slipped on her royal regalia.

"Well, wish me luck, Abby. Night Court. Again." The young Princess sighed, shook her head as she turned, and walked toward the door and her appointment with her sister. She telekinetically snagged her dark crystal tiara on the way out.

Outside her chambers was a short hallway lined with windows that overlooked the castle and Canterlot proper. From the hall she could see her sister's tower with its own sky bridge and the library tower where, she had been told, a young Twilight Sparkle used to call residence. Below the hall, the royal gardens bloomed in profusion of flowers and blossoms of all descriptions, their petals closing in the last rays of the Sun. Luna smiled as she crossed the short hall and reached the main body of the castle where a couple white Dayguard pegasi stood. She nodded to their twin salutes and turned down the passage as it branched off to her left. Just ahead was a closed off set of stairs that led to the royal sisters' personal lounge and dining areas.

Luna's smiled widened again as she paused at the top of the stairs with her eyes closed. She could already smell the oats and toast. _Better hurry up or Tia is going to eat my breakfast right along with her dinner. Again. Maybe that's why she gotten so huge?_

Canterlot Castle: Private Royal Dinning

Celestia was alone at the large circular table in their simple dining area. She looked as she always did these days, regal and relaxed, if a little tired around the eyes. Luna noted she was drinking hot tea that smelled of jasmine and had a half plate of daisy salad with almonds. Celestia's tiara was set on the table, just out of her way as she munched slowly. Luna's own meal was a bowl of honeyed oat cereal and toast with a cold glass of milk. It was set with a single wide spoon and simple napkin. Though there were about six stoic guards at the entrance, only the two of them were allowed here, no servants. They even set the table themselves. The food was prepared in the kitchens, but the sisters served each other here. This was a private, family chamber to the two Princesses.

"Feeling tired, Tia?" Luna took her seat, nodding to the tea her sister sipped.

"Always, it seems these days. But I suspect that as you re-take over your old duties at the courts, I'll be getting more sleep." Celestia smiled distractedly and continued munching away at her salad with a slow determination.

"If you have the time tonight, send me sweet dreams, sis?" She looked at Luna for the first time between bites.

"I would if I could, Tia. But I'm sure you'll manage without my help. You've been doing pretty well at that these past centuries."

Luna kicked herself the moment the words left her mouth. She hadn't meant it like it sounded. She really did wish pleasant dreams on her sister. Now Celestia would get all moody over her massive guilt about imprisoning Luna.

"Tia...I didn't. I...meant...aw, well, _horseapples_," Luna frowned and dropped her head to the table with a sound 'thunk' that rattled the dishes. Her horn tip even gouged a little furrow in the old oak wood.

"I didn't mean it tha-"

"I know." Celestia cut her off with a soft tone, "I know, Lulu. I'm not so fragile as to flip out over such things any longer. Now, eat up. And fix the table."

Celestia smirked as Luna looked up. Her eyes sparkled playfully at the younger alicorn as Luna's horn flashed, repairing the furniture. Not for the first time, Luna wondered why Celestia seemed to take time switching from 'Princess' to just 'sister'.

"And don't let me hear from my spies that you're using such language in the courts. It's not _bucking_ lady-like."

The two alicorns looked at each other in silence for a moment before both burst out laughing. Luna chuckled deeply at the thought of her sister getting a detailed report from a pony in black on her every moment of unbecoming behavior. Not that she really believed Celestia spied on her, very much, anyway. Perhaps she'd test it by 'accidentally' stubbing her hoof against the Throne and belting out a few minutes' worth of material to make a sailor pony blush.

"Certainly not, dearest sister! I shall be the very model of decorum." Luna managed to say without too cheesy of a grin, hoof against her slim chest.

"Yes. I bet you will be, Lulu," Celestia fell quiet for a minute more, as Luna shoveled cereal in her mouth.

The older sister, with a faint smile and content look on her face, turned and looked out the narrow windows as the Sun slipped below the horizon For reasons Luna hadn't been brave enough to ask about yet, Celestia's mane remained as it did during the day, multi-hued and ethereal. The moment Night began, Luna could feel her power swell and the dark blue hair that caressed the sides of her neck faded and morphed into a star field, blown by an unfelt breeze. Celestia blinked and looked back at Luna after the transformation ended.

"Now, about those bad dreams you've been having. They are bad, right? I know you remember more than you told me earlier. And don't think I won't go check your diary if you don't tell."

"Tyrant." Luna mumbled and then sighed, "Fine. They are bad. But only because they are scary: running from unseen things, falling while flying. That sort of stuff. It's childish, I know. Some of the dreams are just vague, some are vivid. But they are all normal. There are no pent up emotions eating at me about the Nightmare Moon business, or the imprisonment, or you, or the Elements."

Celestia looked relieved and satisfied with that. She finished up her tea and salad before levitating a napkin over to wipe at her lips. "Any good dreams?"

"Yeah...now and then." Luna blushed a little as she looked into her now mostly empty bowl, avoiding eye contact.

Celestia smirked and chuckled at her sister's reaction.

"Good. You deserve them, Lulu."

Luna's blush burned in her cheeks as she finished up her meal. Best not to think too much on the few pleasant dreams she'd had recently. They weren't exactly normal.

_Note to self, _thought Luna, _encode diary._

Canterlot Castle: Royal Court

Dinner ended soon after with Luna wishing her sister a goodnight's rest before heading to Court. The Royal Court was used for both Day and Night Courts, continuously open to the public. At least it was supposed to be on paper. In practice, it was available most of the time, with little breaks here and there when either sister would need to take a meal or deal with an emergency. And, of course, should there be a scheduled meeting with certain nobility or foreign dignitaries, the court would be closed. Even should no other event interrupt the Court, there was still the issue of making it to the Princess on duty. The lines during the Day Court were notoriously long.

_While Night Court was lucky to even have a line,_ Luna thought glumly as she transferred from the private to public sections of the castle. She chose to walk, keeping her thoughts to herself as she trotted through the halls, flanked by four of her Nightguard. Luna shook her head, clearing her negative thoughts and smirked as an idea occurred to her.

_I might as well psych myself up for this. No reason Night Court HAS to be boring and understated. Perhaps if I bring more energy and enthusiasm, the ponies around me will join? _

It began as it did centuries before, with the rising of the Moon. It was something she could do in her sleep; it was such a basic task. Like breathing. It came naturally and easily. Celestia liked to make a spectacle of her Sun Rises with plenty of pomp and fanfare. Luna's tastes usually ran toward the more subtle. However, she did like to make a grand entrance when she could. As she walked down the corridor toward the Court's main double doors, she reached into that 'place' within herself, where the magic that made her a goddess resided and, with it, the Moon. She pulled and willed it to rise in pace with her steps, so as she reached the doors and was announced with trumpets, the Moon would begin to crest the horizon and light the sky as the last shreds of purple faded to the same midnight blue of her coat.

Her timing was perfect. The way the Moon obeyed her whim as the trumpeters sounded right on cue. The way her ethereal mane blew in time with the cool breeze coming in off the mountains and in through the open Court windows. Her rakish grin spread as the bats roosting in the eves outside chose that specific moment to take flight. Everything was perfect. Except that no pony was there to appreciate it.

_Annnnnnnnd, wasted... _Luna sighed, her grin faltering. She and the handful of Dayguard still on shift and Court staff were the only ones there. They had seen the Princess' displays before.

Luna's Nightguard eyed the room for a moment before moving away for her to switch with the remaining Dayguard. Luna was glad to see the small nods as the shifts changed over. Animosity between the two guard departments was a nagging problem she and her sister had been combating since the revival of Luna's personal guard.

"Bailiff, are there any petitioners awaiting audience with us?" Luna addressed the room, not knowing, or caring at the moment, which pony the bailiff was. Staff, unlike the guards, was still hoof-picked by Celestia. With all the other things she was being forced to catch up on, matching names with faces of staff members was sitting towards the bottom of her priority list.

A dark grey colored unicorn stallion wearing a badge of office around his neck cleared his throat and flipped through a depressing, thin stack of papers on the desk in front of him. He looked at Luna with a forced grin and shook his head slowly. Luna sighed again and did her best trudge towards the Throne.

It sat atop a short dais with heaps of cushions. During the Day it was covered with red and gold and alabaster accent cushions and the carpeting was a matching shade. At Night, the color scheme became a cool blue and silver with obsidian. It reminded Luna of her bed with its sheer size, as it was fit for her sister.

"Then bring Our history books, as well as a cold drink, and a box of fresh doughnuts from the kitchens. This is going be one of those nights, We fear..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Canterlot Castle: Royal Court

"The tide of the war turned beginning with the Battle of Volstag, or the First Day of Endless Feathers as it is known among dragon scholars. The battle happened roughly eighteen months after the open conflict between the griffin and dragon nations started, at Volstag Aerie. Located just a day's flight from the then northern most border of Equestia, the mountaintop aerie was the ancestral home of the Golden Plume griffin clan and held as a location sacred to the griffin progenitor god. It came under attack by a small advance force of perhaps three to five dragon mercenaries*, and was kept under siege for perhaps a week.

While the occupants outnumbered the dragon force by a factor of ten; the far superior physical might of the attackers still retained them the upper hand. The Golden Plume would have been lost if a secret messenger had not breached the draconic blockade and reached the farther north communities of Black Talon, Clear Roar, Sharp Beak, and Cloud Pride. Once these usually dis-separate clans were made aware of the siege, they coalesced for the first time in their history and came rushing to the aid of Volstag Aerie. The resulting griffin army outnumbered the dragon force three hundred to one.

The battle itself lasted only a day, but spawned dozens of war heroes for the griffin side. Not the least of which was Jnord of the Golden Plume, who would later take the throne as the first Griffin Emperor**.

(*Due to the oral history traditions of both specie, and the passing of the event into legend, exact figures are unknown. Researchers have received many wildly differentiating tales over the years, but these are the most commonly agreed upon points.)

(**Please reference chapter forty seven for more information on the reign of Emperor Jnord and his betrayal by…)"

The bottom edge of the nearly full Moon wasn't even over the horizon by the time Luna's first yawn found her. The first lead the way for what felt like a parade, each yawn making her eyelids feel heavier as their frequency increased. She already finished off the half dozen doughnuts from the kitchen and read more than a few boring as hay chapters of her Equestrian Military History book.

This tome was a collection of documents originally transcribed during the Dragon-Griffin wars, which started in earnest about twenty years after her banishment. While Luna found the subject thrilling initially, the book failed to truly engage her mind. The authors reduced the exciting bits down to analytical facts and detailed lists of engagements as well as troop composition for both sides. Luna wanted action and was not finding it in her current reading. She wanted to pull out one of the comics she'd hidden under the Throne, for just such an occasion. It was still too early in the Night for that however. It would be hours before she would take her lunch, and still more hours awaited her until dawn and her sister's arrival for their next shared meal.

It was Celestia's suggestion, the first Night Luna returned to hold Court, that she could use the quiet to catch up on things. Luna's knowledge of the modern world was still spotty at best, even given more than a year's worth of study. She often reflected that current social mannerisms and speech patterns would have been the better topics to start on, rather than history and political policy. It was her own fault really. After being reunited with her sister by the Elements of Harmony, Luna insisted on returning to her Princess-ly duties as soon as possible. She wanted to rule as Celestia did, with wisdom and experience. However, that required far more knowledge of dry historical events and parables than she ever suspected.

_History, it would seem, is just not my subject,_ Luna thought glumly as she looked at the open pages without reading a word, _but here I am again, stubbornly filling my head with the stuff. I should just toss it and find a book on etiquette or a dictionary of modern slang terms! Then I could talk with somepony and try it out! But who would I talk to? Everypony here just be a useless 'yes' pony to me, if they didn't just stammer and trip over themselves. Not to mention the embarrassment it would cause me._

Luna shivered as she imagined Celestia's expression if she caused some social gaffe. Her sister wouldn't be the right pony to practice with either. Luna frowned as her options dwindled. _Even when you are a Goddess, life can be unfair. How can I have no pony to talk to?_

Luna closed the tome with a loud clap, diamond dog-earing the page to keep her place. The sound made the other ponies in the Court jump a little. As she usually dreaded, Night Court was empty and boring. The ponies of the Nightguard were the only ones as bright eyed as the Night Princess. The holdovers from the day shift went about their final paperwork mechanically with a tired, glazed expression on each of their faces. At least they were not asleep. Her bailiff, whom she had learned was named 'Corky,' of all things, was dozing at his desk, almost snoring. The papers there were curling back and forth with each wheezy intake of breath. One of his rear legs twitched slightly as he entered a deeper state of sleep.

_Lucky bast – _Luna started as the idea hit her. _Wait a minute... I could go dream hopping! That would be interesting at least. Perhaps I could find somepony to have a meaningful conversation with! So what if Tia doesn't think I should? It's my power. I'll use it as I wish. Besides, no pony is getting hurt by it._

An even more inner voice warned her that those sounded dangerously like 'famous last words.' But then again, she hadn't actually said anything out loud. No pony would even know. To the other ponies in the room it would look as if she was just staring blankly off into space. Luna took a sip of her water and adjusted her seating. The magic surged as she thought about it, though her horn did not glow with its usual aura. This magic was as easy and simple as breathing, so it was hardly any effort at all. As patron Goddess of the Night, some powers just came to her.

Until she was actively in a dream, it was a purely passive ability. It reached out invisible spider web-like tendrils attracted to dreaming minds. Each mind contacted would feel nothing as it was probed for the right conditions that allowed the shared experience. If the dreamer was thinking of Luna herself, the tendril strengthened the bond, and the Princess could then take over her dream self. Doing so was easy enough, hardly more taxing than merely searching. Should she find multiple dreamers thinking of her, she could invade only one dreamscape at a time. However, switching between them was a simple task for Luna.

The net of dream-probing threads spread out from Luna's horn, heedless of physical obstructions, almost hungry for the dreams of ponies. Luna watched them shimmer in the Moonlight, swaying in the same unfelt breeze that blew through her mane. They found Corky first, passing him over. His dreams were not of Luna, but about himself as a wine taster. More sleeping minds were discovered as they spread: a few in this wing, several dozen throughout the castle, including her sister, though none dreamed of her. More still appeared on castle grounds and in the greater Canterlot area. Among those, the first potential candidates with the right set of conditions began to appear.

Luna leisurely scanned each sleeping pony at the speed of thought, carefully considering each candidate in the blink of an eye. Over here one pony dreamed of Luna as Nightmare Moon bringing eternal night. Over there, another dreamed of her plotting Celestia's downfall. There were others with similar unhappy themes. She did not care for those. Most nightmares were tough enough to deal with when asleep. Active conscious interaction with such terrors was another matter entirely, and one Luna would not soon repeat. She suppressed a shudder. That was one of her top five most unpleasant experiences. It had been a mistake, but she had just wanted to help. It nearly broke her and the dreamer too. The imagination was nearly impossible to reign in while in the dreamscape, even by two Goddesses.

More dreaming minds passed before Luna's inner eye, examined and rejected. Dreams numbering beyond counting appeared before her consciousness as the tendrils of magic spread. Communities all across Equestria dozed in the gentle Moon light Dozens in each of these small thorpes dreamed of her. It was quite flattering, actually. Luna felt her heart swell as the unintended well-wishing of hundreds of Equestrian citizens flooded her mind.

_If only I had tried this earlier! So many pleasant dreams; it's a shame they all look boring. Come on, there has to be somepony out there with a good dream going on. _Luna shook her head.

The dream-probing tendrils hit Ponyville within a minute of her first activating her power. And among all the dreaming minds she touched so far, one stood out like a blazing beacon. It burst at the seams with magical might, tinted with friendship and softened by limitless innocent curiosity.

_Wow, even her aura is purple. I wonder if that's just Twilight or the fact that she's the Element of Magic? _Luna thought to herself as the mare's dreams were probed. _Huh... she's actually dreaming about me? Oh, this I gotta see!_

Luna affixed more of the tendrils to the sleeping unicorn and focused her will, almost to the point of invading the dream. She wanted a clear view of what was going on in Twilight's mind. It didn't feel like a nightmare, so that was positive.

In the Canterlot Throne Room, Luna closed her physical eyes, a bored expression on her face. In her mind she discarded the previous dream connections she'd made and zeroed in on her target's mind. At first it was very dark, then blindingly bright. As the images resolved, Luna noted off-hoof that Ms. Sparkle dreamed in color. Quite vibrantly so, in fact. All the physical senses, physics, proportions and distances were all accounted for and seemed to be waking-world equivalent.

_Just what I'd expect from this unicorn, given the way Celestia has described her and our encounter Nightmare Night. She's mindful, methodical, and grounded… yet whimsical at times. _

The dream space appeared before her as a giant sphere of swirling colors hanging in an empty void. It was eerie how similar it looked to the view of the planet seen from her Moon. Luna wondered if it was her subconscious mind that created that imagery or if that was just as things are. As the only pony capable of viewing the dreams of others, she lacked another mind to trade notes with about such curiosities.

Luna held back her thoughts so as not to disturb the dream forming in what she imagined as 'in front' of herself. Without entering the dream directly, she'd have a very limited view from the perspective of the dream version of herself. She could only see and hear what her dream self could with no direct control over it. The dreamer still controlled that Luna like a puppet until she pushed past the outer edges into the dreamscape. But at least it would give her a basic understanding of what was going on.

She appeared to be inside some wooden structure descending on a narrow, slightly curved staircase. Her dream-self was following Twilight Sparkle down it towards a simple door with a brass handle. She could hear Twilight speaking to her, though at this stage the sound was muffled, and her speech was difficult to make out. She was talking about showing something to Luna, something about a series of experiments of some sort.

_Yes, finally somepony to talk to! And this will be a good way to further get to know Twilight. We are very similar in demeanor and our closeness to Tia. Magically, at least, she's the next closest pony to myself. There isn't any reason we can't become even more fast friends! And I get to avoid more embarrassing awkwardness! Yay!_

Luna chuckled to herself and, with a final push of magical energy, merged with her dream self. The now merged versions of Luna nodded as Twilight finished her sentence.

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

"...and that's why I asked for your aid, Princess Luna! I think that these experiments will help us move forward in magical development by far bigger leaps and bounds than ever before. And with the help of an alicorn, the breakthrough is well within our grasps!" Dream-Twilight giggled and opened the plain doorway in front of the two mares.

The door opened to reveal Twilight's basement laboratory, putting them just below her home at the Ponyville Library. While Luna had never been to this part of the building, she had been to the Library before and felt confident she could manipulate the dream space subtly enough for the young scholar not to notice should the need arise. Not that she planned on changing much really. She was here for the conversation after all.

Luna followed Twilight in, noting how she could feel the wood grain under her hooves. Dreams were as real as the waking world to Luna. But it took amazing amounts of detail to make it seem anything like reality. And Twilight Sparkle's mind certainly lived up to 'amazing'.

Moments after she entered the lab, the door clicked closed and the light changed minutely toward a pinkish haze. In the middle of the room was the freakish machine Twilight used to try analyzing Pinkie Pie's ludicrous 'Pinkie Sense.' Luna heard about that event from her sister through many bouts of laughter after that report came in. Its pony restraint system seemed... upgraded somehow.

And as she looked around, it dawned on her that the tools and devices on the walls were not the kind one would normally use in scientific experiments. Considering the size of some of them made Luna re-evaluate Twilight's grasp of real world proportions. They also made her blush fiercely. Especially since Twilight seemed to favor the same brand as the one Luna had hidden in her room back at the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

Dream-Luna gulped, stepping back against the door until her rump crushed her tail against it. Her eyes widened as she looked at the various devices and erotic what-not that littered the lab in Twilight Sparkle's dream. With the subconscious being the beast it was, such imagery wasn't uncommon. At least, so far as Luna could tell, the purple pony's tastes didn't run too extreme, outside of a few that were so large. Luna hoped to Celestia they were for display only.

The light 'clop' sound of dainty hooves on wood snapped Luna's attention back to the dreamer. Somewhere in the last second, unnoticed, Twilight had acquired a see-through pink nightie that matched the streak in her hair. Luna's hooves scratched into the floor boards as she continued to try backing away from the approaching unicorn. Dream-Twilight paused for a moment, tilting her head and blinking in thought.

"Dearest Princess, where would you like to start? My Patented Pinkie Pie Pinkie Sense Sensory Station, as last time? Or," Dream-Twilight licked her lips and practically purred. "Right here on the floor?"

_C'mon Luna! Think of something before this goes too far! We're here for intellectually stimulating conversation, not to be stimulated by an intellectual. This isn't the first time you've gotten yourself caught in a dream like this. Twilight must be lonely or something! Happens to the best of us. Distract her! _Luna grinned wide, a twitch jerking her ears back and forth rapidly.

"Ms. Sparkle! I'm sure you have the wrong idea. I came to speak to you about MAGICAL experiments! Not...", Luna glanced about again. "Not about intimate matters, I assure you! Hmph!"

Twilight's reaction was instantaneous, as this was an reply her mind wasn't expecting. It might have woken a lesser mind, but not THIS unicorn. Her smile froze garishly and one eye twitched. "Buh...wah...that's not...you're not...usually don't...what?"

Luna waved her hoof dismissively. "Magical experiments my good unicorn! As you and my sister have done. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression when we traded letters last." Her grin grew wider as she wove an on the spot fabrication.

_Smooth..._ Luna fished about for something to keep Twilight's mind off whatever it was thinking.

"Did you not wish to test my skills as a spellweaver? I may not be Celestia, but I am no hunchback."

Twilight's eye twitched again, but her facial rigamortis started to ease. "Hunch...back? I think... you mean 'slouch'? As meaning incompetent?"

Luna nodded, perhaps a bit too vigorously, her horn catching a overhead shelf and dislodging a small avalanche of books and plastic stallion appendage replicas. _She even goes for the 'life-like' versions._ Luna noted almost absently as one bounced off the end of her snout.

"Yes! Just that! Slouch!" Luna tried to prance gracefully away from the pile at her hooves and succeeded, mostly. But doing so put her nearer to the...the whatever Twilight called the monstrosity she had tried to study her friend Pinkie with. Luna shied away from it too, but was far less successful. One of the toys with the 'tru-vein' molding, caught under her forehoof and threw off her balance, turning her prance into a mad scrabbling. The next thing she knew, she was in the device's sinister grip and held suspended and spread eagle, face down, body parallel to the floor and hung at about shoulder height to a regular pony.

The leather straps that held her creaked as Luna blinked. She could even smell that they had been oiled recently. Twilight's dreams were ludicrously well detailed and loaded with sensory input. _And all that detail is going to be going to new depths IN me if I don't do something about this!_

Dream-Twilight's face changed back to the half-lidded bedroom eyes and hungry look. She walked up to Luna, eyes tracing her every inch, and put a hoof under the Princess' chin. "Oh Princess, you should have just said you wanted to play the submissive part this time."

Twilight giggled and licked her lips in a way Luna was sure she might appreciate at another time, but this wasn't it. She struggled against the binds, but doing so only made them squeeze tighter. Her thrashing did make Twilight pause again, her expression turning curious and a little confused.

"Twilight Sparkle...huuu...I must protest! Hnnggg...stupid straps...I am not the 'submissive' type, nor...grrrr...really all that into these modern kinks!" Luna tried again to pull free but was only succeeding in getting more tangled.

"I DEMAND you let me free at once! One of these damnable straps is pinching a most...hmmmm... sensitive area."

The unicorn continued to look confused and blinked rapidly at Luna for several long seconds before reaching over and taping a button on the device's control panel. There was some buzzing and faint whirring sounds before Luna felt herself being spun about a breakneck speeds, the room becoming a blur. A moment later she found herself unceremoniously dumped on the lab floor.

Twilight continued to look at her in growing confusion. "I...I don't understand." This seemed to make her angry, Luna noted as she got back to her feet. "You aren't usually like this. Do... do you want me in the harness?"

Luna brushed her mane back and righted the tiara on her head before affixing a glare on the dreaming mind before her. She felt extremely tempted to use the Royal Canterlot Voice on her, but she kept her voice at its normal volume. "No. No. A thousand times No! I came here to discuss magical experiments Ms. Sparkle, and you ambush me with these... these articles of perverted pleasure? Are you not the Element of Magic itself? Are you not my sisters' faithful student?" Luna flared her nostrils and lightly stamped her hoof for emphasis.

Perhaps it was mentioning the Element, or her sister, or simply going against her expectations enough, but whatever the trigger, Luna felt the dream change a second before the surroundings did a most unnatural flipflop and rearranged itself. The lab was mostly unchanged, but now reflected, Luna suspected, a more accurate rendition of the location. Gone were the various erotic paraphernalia and the device at the center had shrunken dimensions. Gone too was Twilight's nightie, but it was replaced with a pleated, deep blue skirt and a white blouse with blue trim. She also was now wearing a pair of thick rimmed glasses and her hair was piled up in a complicated bun held together with chopsticks. Twilight Sparkles look of confusion was, however, still very much intact.

"Y...yes. I am a faithful student. Aren't I, Teacher?"

Luna sighed and rolled her eyes, adjusting her own glasses and tapping the long ruler in her forehoof. _Excellent, we trade one fantasy for another. Twilight's subconscious is as single minded as I'm told her waking personality is. Wait. Why am I holding a ruler?_

Luna glanced at the ruler and then herself. She seemed to be dressed in some sort of dark colored suit. It fit her well. Twilight's attention to detail was once again to be commended. This fantasy apparently put Luna in the role of a teacher or administrator of some sort.

"Faithful student, yes, but not to me. You are my sister's pupil. **NOW STOP TRYING TO MAKE THIS SEXUAL!**" Ok, just a little Royal Canterlot Voice. Luna frowned as hard as she could. "I merely wish to speak with you as friends and equals Ms. Sparkle!"

Dream-Twilight frowned at Luna. "But thats not what I want. I've been a bad, bad, lonely unicorn! I want...I NEED to be spanked!"

Even as she spoke though, Luna could sense a change ripple through the dreaming mind. She looked confused, angry and aroused all at the same time. Twilight's subconscious was fighting to hold onto control and maintain the narrative, while her conscious mind was struggling with the unexpected input from Luna's invasion. And she was starting to work her way out of the deeper state of sleep. The laboratory environment started to become hazy.

"Oh great," Luna muttered. "Wake up on me and we get nothing done. You can go back to your fantasies after we speak. I want to get to know you, Twilight, just not...in that manner."

Dream-Twilight blinked with exaggerated slowness. "I would... like that? I don't... even..."

She might have said more. Luna might have finally gotten the conversation she wanted, but it wasn't to be. From the waking world, back in the Throne Room, a loud noise pierced the Princess' senses. The dream connection from her tendrils snapped as she blinked, eyes focusing. Luna scowled. Whatever disturbed her was about to get the full Royal Canterlot Voice experience in the face.

The main double doors at the far end of the Throne had burst open, breaking her trance. And at the moment, three of Luna's Night Guard in full dark plate marched a fourth pony briskly down the red and gold carpet. She recognized the lead Guard as Captain Massing Clouds. The other two were new recruits, transfers from the Day Guard. Their coats were only just starting to turn the storm cloud grey of the Guard, while the Captain's was almost pitch black, a trace of arc lighting playing along his mane and tail. The new recruits flanked a white coated elegant female unicorn. She looked like a model. Luna reflected for a moment that she might be. She did seem vaguely familiar.

As the small contingent reached the barrister, the bailiff Corky, awoke and started to riffle through his paperwork and wipe the drool from his snout. Captain Massing didn't give him time to compose himself though.

"Princess Most High! Captain Massing Clouds reporting! We have captured a suspicious pony in the Forbidden Garden and brought her in for questioning!" The Captain saluted and bowed to Luna before crossing the barrister to stand before the Throne with his recruits and 'prisoner' in tow. Now that they were closer, Luna could see a fleur di lis cutie mark on the unicorn.

"She was found fooling around with the statue of He Most Low, Discord!"

Luna fixed her glare on the Captain. "Stop yelling. We can hear you perfectly fine, thank you. And define 'fooling around'. While you are at it Captain, please explain why you didn't question her in the field? Surely that would have been more expedient?"

Massing Clouds swallowed and glanced back and forth between Luna and the prisoner. "Um... well... yes. She was using unicorn magic and acting... uh... odd. We found nothing missing or disturbed... er, so far. And she would not answer questions Your Majesty. I, uh, don't think she understands Canterlot Common."

Luna raised an eyebrow as the unicorn in question fixed a haughty gaze on the Throne and let out a long, fast paced string of tilted Fancy. Her accent was as elegant as it's owner and the tone told anyone listening that she was not happy to be where she was.

Luna cringed. _Oh, just bucking fantastic! ANOTHER language I haven't practiced in a thousand years. This is going to sound atrocious... may Fancy forgive me..._

"Je m'excuse pour tout traitement rugueux. Mes gardes dites que vous étiez dans notre jardin interdit. Que faisiez-vous là? S'il vous plaît."

The white unicorn looked at Luna for a moment like she had just smelled something rotten, but then her eyes widened in comprehension. She smirked and her pose changed from indignant to graceful nonchalance. She spoke again, slower and more distinct in her pronunciation. Obviously, this was something she had done before, and Luna narrowed her eyes in concentration with the translation.

_Ok... so... in the garden, yes. Near the statues. Going for a walk? She wanted to see the moonlight...on bushes? No, on flowers. Meeting somepony else. No wrong doing..._

Luna frowned, even though it seemed liked she understood most of the Fancy being spoken. She noted absently how much the language had changed in the past millennium. Not that she had been that good at it before.

"Captain Massing, was there anypony else in the area when she was found?"

The pegasus thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. We conducted a search of the area, and did a fly over of the Royal Maze, but she was alone as far as we could detect."

"And you said nothing was missing or disturbed?"

Massing Cloud nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable as the thought of interrupting the Princess pointlessly started to circle his mind. Luna was just considering unleashing the Voice at him when another distant bang echoed through the Throne Room. The double doors were once again open and striding down the center isle was yet another elegant, white unicorn. Though this time it was a stallion, and one Luna instantly recognized.

"Why, Lord Fancypants, to what do we owe this late evening visit?" Luna raised an eyebrow as he approached, his horn glowing as he removed his monocle and polished it without breaking step. He shot a pointed glance at the other unicorn as he drew even and bowed to Luna with one forehoof across his chest.

"My dearest Princess Luna, You Majesty, I am here to reclaim my wayward companion. We were to meet this evening outside the Royal Gardens for a pleasant stroll. I must say, I was distracted and in doing so, missed the time of our meeting and she had wandered off. She is new to Canterlot so I feared for her whereabouts. A quick query to one of your Night Guard ponies and I learned they had taken a 'suspicious unicorn' to see you. I came post haste."

As he spoke, Fancypants shot another sidelong glance at the Fancy unicorn. She managed to blush and smile and look demure all at once. She hung her head and let her mane sweep in front of her eyes much in the manner Luna had heard of the pegasus Fluttershy doing when confronted.

"I must apologize for her Your Majesty! I am still only beginning her teaching in Canterlot Common and our ways here."

Luna sat back in the Throne, trying to look as regal as possible. If Celestia was having her spied on, might as well make it a good report. "We see no reason to detain her here any longer. So, We release her to your custody, Lord Fancypants. But, be warned. Should Our Night Guard find anything amiss in the gardens, We know your residence and shall be most quick in bringing you both in for further questioning. Is that understood?"

Fancypants nodded tersely and turned to his companion. In far more flawless Fancy that Luna had managed a few moments before, he quietly scolded the mare as they walked off back towards the entrance. The two recruits followed just behind them, while the Captain remained until dismissed.

Luna took a deep breath as they reached the far doors and clapped her hooves together gently. "You may leave Us Captain. But do not let this happen again. I dislike being embarrassed in front of the Night Court by my still recovering diplomatic skills. Is THAT understood?" Luna put as much royal venom as she could into that last question. Better to make an example than show weakness.

"Yes, Most High Princess!" Massing Cloud saluted so hard he knocked his helmet askew. It took a moment for him to right it and he turned and galloped from the Throne Room, trailing sparks.

Once he was gone and the doors closed, leaving her with the usual Night Court ponies, Luna let out a rush of air and slumped in the Throne. "Jeez... and here I had hoped for petitioners!"

Luna brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked about for her misplaced box of doughnuts. _This might end up being a longer night than I expected..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Ponyville: Sparkle Residence

Twilight woke with a start, her eyes snapping open and her breath catching in her throat. Her room was dark save for the moonlight drifting in through her window. All was silent, except for the gentle snoring of Spike at the foot of her bed. She exhaled slowly, blinking a few times to clear the sleep haze.

_It was all a dream._ Twilight thought, trying to sort the confused jumble of images of herself and Princess Luna. _A dream again... yeah. I'd never do something like that with the Princess!_

Twilight sighed and shifted her weight in bed, trying to become comfortable again. This wasn't the first time she'd woken from a dream like this. It had happened a few times before within the last month, maybe once every couple of days or so. It was distressing, to think she had those sort of thoughts in the dark recesses of her mind. _And always Luna..._

As she shifted about, Twilight noticed a dampness in her sheets, under where her rump had been. A brief fear of wetting the bed flashed through her mind, but moving her hind legs more told her it hadn't come from her bladder.

_Great, now I need a shower. Stupid sexy dreams. I DON'T need this!_ The unicorn rolled over, gently coming to her hooves so as not to wake Spike and walked slowly down the stairs to the main level of the library and then through the back towards the kitchen and bath area. Twilight's mind played over the dream again, picking it apart as she lit the small bathroom lamp with a whisper of magic.

_Ok, so, once again, myself and Luna. Obviously, there is some sort of obsession there. She is a pretty mare, I suppose. But why her?_ Another whisper of magic lit the fire that warmed the water in the raised basin above the showering stall. _And here at the library again, though this time in the basement lab. That would make it once in every room. Places I feel comfortable in? Where I feel in command? How would that work since Luna is always the one leading? Except for tonight..._

Twilight paused as she levitated the shampoo and soap over to herself, the water still heating. Her dream earlier had been different than the others markedly in that Luna had acted oddly. Almost as if she was surprised to be there. In the previous dreams her behavior had been more confident, smooth, seductive and above all, assertive. Thinking about it made Twilight shiver in a vaguely pleasant way.

_This is getting out of hoof Sparkle..._ Twilight rolled her eyes as she set down the shampoo and then tossed some of the herbs Fluttershy had helped her gather into the warming water basin. Their rich earthy scent had a calming effect and made the shower even more relaxing. Her eyes flicked up to the basin checking the fire.

_Well, you know how to chase off the feeling at least. Good thing I bought that...speaking of which, what was up with the fetish content this time?_ Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, frowning as she thought. _The first few times, it was just Luna. No props. But, the last two have had... what would I even call it? More kink? Do I like that sort of stuff?_

Twilight blushed and giggled nervously at just the thought. She was sure she didn't, right? Toys were one thing, but bondage gear? She'd never seen any outside of a few catalogs and that one time she accidentally walked into The Crop, back in Canterlot, with her nose in a book on the way to the doughnut shop. And the role playing, and dress-up, it was almost overwhelming in the sheer amount of questions it brought up.

The scent of the herbs began to waft down from the basin, letting Twilight know the water was warm. Popular literature called for a cold shower in these situations, but after the first dream, she'd learned that they did not work and were, in fact, highly uncomfortable. So, instead, Twilight chose to 'get it out of her system', as it were. She closed the shower stall with a kick of her hind leg and a little magic locked the bathroom door. Once she was certain that she'd remain undisturbed, Twilight gripped the nozzle on her mouth and turned it to it's lowest setting. The warmed, scented water released from the overhead basin and fed through a hose to a spigot above her, letting it rain gently down. This way the shower could last a good while.

_Long enough to get what I need done..._ Twilight turned in a lazy circle, getting herself soaked. She closed her eyes, holding her face under the spray, enjoying the water and the tiny sizzling sound as her horn flared. Near the ceiling, the grating covering the vent duct pulled away and out floated a black object. It wasn't as big as some in her dream, but it was more than enough to get the job done. Twilight turned and lifted her tail, getting her back side wet as she braced her forehooves on the stall wall and let her magic do the rest.

Canterlot Castle: Southern Courtyard

The South Courtyard at Canterlot Castle sees a lot of traffic on a given day, but at night, it was all but deserted. It was quiet and the guards on duty liked it that way, which was one of the reasons they were eyeing the couple of unicorns that were strolling through it at the moment. The two were chatting amicably, stopping frequently to closer observe the tapestries that hung, or the statues of past pony legends. They weren't loud, but they were tourist. At least one of them was, seeing as they were speaking Fancy. The couple laughed quietly at something and started moving again, the eyes of four Night Guard following them, or at least the mare, as she gracefully flipped her mane to the other side of of her neck with a feminine chuckle that could melt butter.

Lord Fancypants smiled at his companion, and to all the observers, he was quite happy and enjoying showing this pretty mare around. The truth was a bit different, and had anypony in the courtyard been fluent in Fancy, their conversation would sound anything but pleasant.

"I can't believe you wandered off like that. What if I had not found you? Do you realize what the Princess would have done to you? To me?! We are supposed to be partners here. Your apprenticeship is almost over and you endanger us all!"

The mare smiled back at him, blinking her bright eyes with false flirtatious slowness. "Oh you Equestrians and your goddesses. Did you hear her Fancy? It was like that of a child one might refer to as 'slow' in polite company and has a lisp. Besides, it was a calculated risk. You were late, the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I am not the lanky foal you took under your dark wing a year ago, oh Master of Falsehoods!"

Fancypants stopped as they came up to a tapestry that displayed a stylized image of the six Elements of Harmony. He gestured to it, continuing the pantomime ruse of being a guide to the unicorn with him. His eyes lingered on the white unicorn on the tapestry for a moment. Stringing her along and pretending to be completely unaware of her status as a bearer of the Element of Generosity had been an excellent lesson for his protege, if impromptu. He still regretted not bedding Rarity when he had the chance, but, the seed was planted. That game could still play out in his favor one day.

"I've told you dozens of times: 'if you don't have backup, don't do anything.'. And yet, you go ahead, blindly, trusting in your luck. Your skills are top notch, but you rely on luck of the draw more than is safe my dear. You are no foal. You are a grown mare and almost an established Rogue. But stupid actions like this will only make you dead sooner than later!" Fancypants chuckled and gestured meaninglessly at the tapestry again. "But, you never listen. Did you at least get it?"

The white unicorn mare blinked slowly at the image, her expression changing to a studied haughtiness as she too glanced at Rarity. Fancypants had heard no end to her ranting about the other mare that first day of their random encounter. "Of course I got it. And it is stored securely. Do you know what we will need for the next phase?"

"Yes. That's why I was late getting back. But I have found the potion maker. As soon as we are in a less zealously guarded area, we can go."

"Good." The foreign pony turned toward the exit and yawned expressively, as if suddenly realizing she was tired. She glanced at the nearest guard pony, a unicorn in the dark armor of the Night Guard, winking at him before holding her head up and starting out. The guard swallowed hard, trying to keep a straight, serious look on his face and failing.

Fancypants pretended to be none the wiser and followed, taking a second to enjoy the show his apprentice was putting on and the sway of her cutie mark with each step. Once they had left the courtyard proper and were in the darkened passage to the outer walls and gate of the castle he let the act drop. He was a skilled pony, an information broker and full fledged Rouge member of the Inner Order. She was a thief, a very good thief and decent distraction, but his skill was information gathering, stealth and infiltration. The passage was no more than two pony lengths long, and in an instant the shadows inside deepened to conceal them. His horn didn't even glow, so practiced was he. Silence encircled them, making the clop of their hooves fade away. And a gate opened in front of them, using the castle's stones for an anchor in space. It was invisible to the naked eye. Gates were similar to teleporting magics, but allowed more passengers. It was normally flashy stuff, and gating blind was something the Academy wizards equated to recklessly suicidal. To Fancypants, this was just another Tuesday night.

As quickly as it appeared, the layered spells vanished, along with two white unicorns, leaving only the faint scent of wet forest floor.

Canterlot Castle: Royal Court Hall

Luna scowled at the the white cardboard bottom of her box of doughnuts. A few errant sprinkles cowered in one corner as her magic levitated it. With a sigh, she set it aside and blinked absently at the air in front of her. It was quiet again, less snoring this time. Just as it had been before being interrupted by her guards. The bailiff was shuffling papers at his desk, trying to look busy, the on duty guardponies were at their stations, doing that far stare routine that guards do.

_Blasted interruptions! Now I'm out of doughnuts on top of having nothing to do, and Twilight is no longer even asleep!_ Luna's stare turned into a glower. _I wanted to talk to her, Celestia damn it! If I'd had a little time, I could have directed her mind away from..._ Luna's feathers rustled as she recalled the imagery of Twilight's dream

Twilight certainly had a strong mind. She kept turning it toward a goal even when being prompted. And she had quite the imagination! Luna could remember walking in on a few dreams like that before, but idle fantasy didn't feel as that dream had. Everything had been real. Or as real as dreams get anyway. And that came from deep thought and obsessive detailing.

_Should I be flattered? Or scared? According to Tia, that mare has amazing powers and a mind like a diamond trap. And has been known to go overboard with things from time to time._ Luna frowned sadly, looking down. _And, really, how should I feel, about it? Its not like I haven't been hit on by mares before. Or thought about it during my...er, isolation. But, …...AAAARRRGGHH...so confuse!_

"Bailiff Corky! I take it there is nothing scheduled for tonight's Night Court?"

The young unicorn nearly jumped out of his coat, turning mid-air and landing with all the grace of a dropped sack of potatoes. He picked himself up and shook his head rapidly. "Um... no, Your Grace. There isn't anything specifically scheduled tonight beyond a rainshower just before dawn."

"Good! Then make use of yourself and go to Pony Joe's. Return with a half dozen chocolate chunk and espresso bean frosted doughnuts and one of those boxed juice drinks. Sweet Apple Acres brand. **WE COMMAND THEE!**" Luna unleashed the Voice again without thought and immediately thought better of herself. "Please?"

Corky went from dark red to pale white as the Royal Canterlot Voice slammed into him, nearly throwing back over his desk. Thinking it to be the best response, he used the momentum to hit full galloping speed before winking out of the room in a flash of teleportation magic.

_Great. Add 'scaring the norms' to your growing lists of failures why don't you? Celestia is going to have a ball reading the spy notes on this one. And then sentencing me to a thousand years in my room or some such._ The Night Alicorn neighed softly and shook her head in disgust. She rested back in the Throne and closed her eyes, her mind calling up the image of Twilight Sparkle dressed as some tarted up school filly. _Go back to sleep you lonely scholar...I'm dying for some good conversation here! Just next time... maybe less kinky stuff?_

Luna tapped a hoof on her chin. _Should I complement her on the outfit choice though? It __**WAS **__terribly cute._

Canterlot Castle: Outside the Royal Chambers

Outside Celestia's personal chambers the hall was quiet. Two of the Royal Equestrian Day Guard stood at either side of the double doors leading in. Both pegusi were highly trained, armed and armored. It was an honor to guard the Princess personally, though no guard thought that either Princess truly needed them if battle took place. Not counting that Nightmare Moon business, nopony or otherwise had been so stupid as to try in more than a eon. But, the service was still taken seriously. Though the younger of the two guards was having a tough time keeping the grin off his face. It was his first time on personal guard duty and his bunk mates would be eating crow in the morning when he told them about it.

The other guard was an old timer. Veteran of over a dozen campaigns in far off lands, bearing the Equestrian flag. He'd 'retired' to active guard duty and was often on personal watch. He was full of stories of glory and gore and he told them well, laughing and smiling as he did so. Right now, he wasn't doing either. He was mumbling something very quietly to himself.

The younger guard looked at him from the corner of his eye and leaned over a little bit, trying to catch what he was saying. "...five mippapippii, six mippapippii, seven mippapippii...".

He was just about to ask what he was going on about when the older pony stopped and abruptly turned and knocked gently on the Princess' door. "Princess Celestia? Are you alright in there ma'am?"

"What are...?"

The older stallion held up a hoof and shushed him with a firm glare. The younger clamped his mouth shut and looked around frantically for whatever may have set the old timer off.

"I don't hear anything?"

"Exactly."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Canterlot Castle: Celestia's Royal Chambers

The senior pony guard's brow knotted in consternation as he stared at the doors separating them from the living Goddess. He knocked again, slower, but with more force. He spoke up, his voice rumbling like a closing storm front. "Ma'am? Are you alright?"

He flicked his eyes at the younger stallion and whispered. "Get ready kid."

"Ready? For what?!"

"Anything."

Wide eyed, the other guard complied. This might be his first night on personal guard duty, but he wasn't some fresh recruit, and this wasn't going to be his last night on it either. Sun Ray flexed his shoulder muscles and the enchantments inlaid in his Royal Guard Armor sprung to life. The armor wasn't just decoration, or merely defensive. The chest piece expanded and extended plates to cover his back and flank and super thin struts extended along the leading edges of his wings. The hoofgaurds grew as well, and sprouted thorn-like spines. The helmet reinforced itself and pulled in the crest while extending a false horn, though unlike a unicorn, or alicorn horn, it was more axe blade than spear. And it was placed lower, over his snout, like a rhino's.

The whole of the transformation took about as much time as a blink and made the suit feel like lead, though Sun Ray knew he was still more than capable of flight and fight. "Sir, I still don't understa-"

Ray was cut off by a wave from the older guard as a soft sound came muffled from behind the doors. It sounded like a sigh. And he wasn't given much time to contemplate what it meant as the doors were pushed open and the older guard stepped through. His face was serious, but his body language said he was relaxed. Ray stifled his question and followed, swallowing hard as he stepped into the bedroom of their beloved leader.

Nothing in the training prepared Sun Ray for this. Even the joking whispers that passed through the barracks at night about this most hallowed of places hadn't prepared him. It was literally like nothing he'd ever even dreamed. Princess Celestia's room was...normal looking. Other than the size and scale differences, it could have been the bedroom of any fairly well off mare. There was a small antechamber with a little desk and mirror, some hooks for hanging things like scarves or hats. Sun Ray couldn't really imagine the Princess stopping here and checking her mane or straightening her tiara before welcoming the day. It must be for the guests of the Princess to use, surely. Though he couldn't think of who in all Equestria would be granted such an audience. The wallpaper was all white and crisp with a strip of sky blue edging the floor and ceiling. The same simple pattern extended into the main room as well.

Celestia's main bed chambers were sparse, almost to the way of spartan. There was plenty of furniture, a bed, a dresser, a night stand, a few seats by the unlit fireplace, some bookshelves, Philomina's birdcage in the far corner covered for the night. But they were simple and in muted pastel coloring, only odd in their size. The carpeting was probably the most opulent thing in room, being a perfect shade of white and feeling like a cloud even to a pegasus. The bed was disheveled, but otherwise the room looked pristine.

The Princess herself was standing at the room's largest window, off to the left as they entered, gazing up at Luna's star filled night sky and full Moon. She looked hale and healthy, vaguely ethereal. Aside from her Royal Vestments having been removed, she seemed just as she always had. Sun Ray sighed with relief and started to relax until he noticed her rear hoof tapping the floor arythmically in annoyance.

Leadfeather, the older guard, stopped just inside the main room and nodded to the Princess. "Sorry to intrude Your Highness, but I heard you awake and you did not answer my call. Are you alright?"

Princess Celestia continued to look out at the night sky for a few seconds before slowly turning her head to regard them. She looked tired, but otherwise fine. Celestia scanned over Sun Ray's active armor and her eyebrows knitted slightly.

She smiled sleepily. "Oh Leadfeather, Sun Ray, you mustn't worry everytime I wake up in the middle of the night. I was simply having a dream. A long, peaceful dream. But, it ended."

Leadfeather frowned and cast a glance at Sun Ray. "Sorry for the interruption then ma'am. Please rest well my Princess."

Still unsure as to what was going on, but calmed by the Sun Princess' ease, Sun Ray saluted and turned to follow Leadfeather as he exited the chambers. He let the armor return to passive mode, the extra plates and spines retracting just as quickly and smoothly as they had appeared. Leadfeather closed the doors behind them once they were back in the hallway and hung his head for what seemed a long while, then, with a deep sigh leaned over to whisper.

"Ok, you heard the Princess, this is a Vector Sigma Protocol. I'll stay here and try to hold whatever it is off. You get to the guard station at the end of the hall and get my helmet. There's a com crystal in it linked to emergency dispatch. Just give them the protocol sign and then go directly to the Throne and alert Princess Luna. We'll need her here fast!"

Sun Ray blinked blankly at the older pegasus. "What?"

Leadfeather looked back at him in confusion for a second before his expression turned to rage and he managed to both yell and whisper at the same time. "Didn't you get the message, you dim witted simpleton?! Don't they teach you noobs Horse-code at the Ranch any more?! Her hoof, damnit! She was sending Horse-code the whole time! We are up to our primary feathers in god-tier horseapples! Now move it soldier! And try not to do so like a chicken with its head cut off!"

Sun Ray swallowed hard and nodded tersely before nervously cantering down the hall toward the station where the extra gear was stored. His eyes felt like saucers in his head as he tried in vain to look at ease. He'd been a guard for more than a year now and he'd never heard of a Vector Sigma Protocol. But he'd follow the orders he was given. Whatever was going on, he's find out the facts soon enough.

Princess Celestia's chambers sat atop one of the tallest towers in the castle, nearest to the mountain itself. The hall that lead to it directly was a long enclosed skybridge with large windows that faced East and West. It was always bright and cheerful. But, at the moment, Sun Ray couldn't help but think of the security risks it presented. The stones and glass were all protected magically, sure. But enough force at the right spot could topple it. And the hall itself could become a shooting gallery, those same enchantments preventing escape. It was long, narrow and provided no cover to speak of.

The station checkpoint was located where the hall met the castle's main structure. It was little more than a desk and a couple of locked cabinets, but at the verbal command of castle staff or a guard, it could erect a protective bubble and block the path to the Princess. No pony was there at the moment, but that was normal procedure. Ray fumbled with keys in his mouth as he tried to come to a stop, pull the keys from his armor, and open the cabinet all at once. His crash into the same cabinet knocked the helm right off him, but Ray was glad he didn't swallow the keys.

After a moment of rustling about, he stood and held ol' Leadfeather's other helmet in his hoof. Inside was a leather patch covering the com crystal. Ray hadn't used one before, as they were reserved for ranking officers, but he was familiar in their function. He tore away the cover with his teeth and spit it on the floor. The small rough cut gem was about the size of an acorn, and glowed a very faint red. Touching his muzzle to the stone, he willed it to connect and began speaking in a hushed tone.

"Hello? This thing on? This is Sun Ray. I'm reporting from the Princess' chambers. Er... Princess Celestia's, specifically! We have a Vector Sigma Protocol. I repeat, a Vector Sigma Protocol!" Ray blinked down at the little crystal, but nothing happened. If he supposed to get a response, he wasn't hearing it.

Ray cursed and tossed the helmet aside. Either emergency dispatch heard him, or they didn't. Leadfeather made it sound like they didn't have much time. He had to get to a large window and take to the air. He could be at the Throne in less than a minute that way. Down the corridor here, there were several rooms reserved for visiting dignitaries and the higher ranking staff members. Just like the skybridge, there were massive enchanted glass windows here, but these could be opened. Rushing to the nearest one he popped the latch with a well placed kicked and it swung open silently. Ray gathered himself for a leap when he heard a sound back towards the checkpoint. He turned, tense, ready to activate his armor and then chuckled nervously as she saw Leadfeather's discarded helm roll from where it had fell when he'd tossed it.

"Don't get too antsy Ray...still gotta go get Princess Luna. Still gotta save Princess Celestia from...whatever. Save Princess, save Equestria, get promoted, maybe meet one of those cute Elements... yeah, that'll happen. Now go!" Sun Ray's powerful leg muscles sent him over the window ledge and out into the cool, moonless void of the night. His wings spread and caught air a split second later, his white plumage swallowed by the inky darkness even the lights from the castle couldn't seem to brighten.

***  
>Everfree Forest<p>

The ground was loamy and covered in a thick layer of leaves accumulated from the past few years worth of seasonal changes. The night was still and dark, but far from quiet. In the canopy above, nocturnal birds and bats swooped and chirped as they hunted the swarms of buzzing insects. The night in the Everfree is alive. More so than even the day. Predator and prey alike fought for space and resources, relaxed or creeped along, mated and fed as the mood or need took them. The larger predators and herbivores slept, but the night was alive with the smaller kind. And ponies.

In an opening in the underbrush that one might generously call a clearing, Lord Fancypants of Equestria and Fleur of Southern Fance stepped into the Everfree from the ether. Their hooves sank into the soft ground almost soundlessly. Fleur glanced about, her eyes adjusting quickly to the sparse moonlight under the canopy. No pony else was about, as far as she could tell, and the wildlife barely paused to consider them. It smelled earthy and a little wet to the touch, like a hot night hours after a light rain.

"Where have you brought us this time? I see no potion maker here. Or anything else for that manner. Is this the Everfree?"

Fancypants smirked and his ever-present monocle flashed green, throwing the nighttime forest into sharp relief. He lowered his voice when he spoke. "The witchdoctor lives near here. She should be asleep. She can be dangerous though, so we'll be approaching her carefully."

Fleur's eyebrows shot up and hissed quietly. "Witchdoctor?! You said potion maker!"

"Witchdoctor that is ALSO a potion maker. Deal with it my apprentice. And while you're at it, get ready. This is your show now. We aren't here to barter for what we need. We are here to filch. And you, my little cat burglar, are about to have a live-fire field run. Get in, get the stuff, get out."

The white unicorn glared daggers at her mentor for a moment before her horn glowed ever so slightly. Illuminated by the faint light, a large owl gazed hungrily at the two ponies from just a few yards away. In a blink her form was covered in a black suit, hooves to shoulders. It had pockets lining the sides and ribbing that held firm, if thin, plates of metal over her vitals, providing a bit of protection as well. Her hair began to twist and braid itself as a mask, black as the suit, with night-vision goggles, appeared and floated next to her.

"Alright, no problem. What does the 'stuff' look like? And don't tell me 'you'll know it when you see it.'." Fleur slipped on the mask, tucking her hair into the back and closing it with a whisper quiet zipper. It covered all but her eyes. Even her horn was concealed. With the goggles on as well, the glow from her horn wouldn't give her away in the dark if she needed her magic.

"I'll even do you one better. Here." Fancypants levitated a photograph from his vest pocket. It was an interior shot of a small room, seemingly inside a hut of some sort. There were tribal masks on the wall, a centrally located cauldron and shelf after shelf of potions and ingredients. Next to one of the shelves was a zebra with multiple neckrings and a high, mohawked mane. The angle made it hard to tell gender, but the witchdoctor seemed to have a mare's sleekness to it. In one hoof it held a large jar wrapped in straw and bound with twine. Unlike most of the bottles in the image, it had a glass stopper rather than a cork.

Fleur narrowed her eyes, drinking in the details, though the mask hardly impeded her senses, it did muffle her voice. "Five neckrings? Are you trying to kill me? Because if you are, there are faster, more humane ways to go about it!"

Fancypants merely continued to smirk. "I'm sure you'll do just fine my dear. Just try to stay out of sight." To emphasise his point, the stately unicorn winked at her and faded from view. Not an invisibility spell, but, a morphic cameo making him blend with the background seamlessly. When he moved and was near, it was rather obvious. But, so long as he moved slowly and smoothly, it would take a dedicated eye to see him. Hearing him was another matter. Years of formal dances in Canterlot and around the world made even a stallion as big as Fancypants light on his hooves. He was, however, more suited to urban climes. Here in the forest, he would have to use the night sounds around them to mask his movements.

Making sure to roll her eyes with extra disdain, Fleur dropped the goggles in place and sighed as the forest around her became more distinct. In the middle distance, off to what felt like the east, she could make out a thatched cottage roof. Her hooves made less noise than a falling leaf as she slinked into the underbrush, and while she couldn't pull off that chameleon spell like Fancypants, she certainly knew a thing or two about stealth. The cottage wasn't very near, but with witchdoctors it paid to be a bit extra cautious. And this witchdoctor wasn't going to see or hear her coming, if Fluer "The Shadow Taker" had anything to say about it.

Fancypants watched her go and waited for a few breaths so she could close more distance to the hut. Then he began his own, much slower advance. Fluer could slip in and out of a place unnoticed, even with very little magic. On the other hoof, he could not. With his chameleon spell in place and the night vision from his monocle, he was fairly certain that he could at least get close enough to help her escape, if the need arose.

His destination wasn't far, thankfully. A crop of young hardwood saplings provided both cover as well as an advantageous view of the witchdoctor's crude home. From there he could reach the hut through his magic and keep tabs on things. Fluer didn't know, but her goggles were enchanted for more than just night vision. So long as he was close, he could see whatever she did through his monocle. Doing so would cancel his own night vision, but, once in position, he wouldn't need it.

The dozen or so trees that made up the impromptu blind were growing on a subtle mound about a minutes worth of walking distance from the hut's north face. Fancypants eased himself in the close growing trees, each about as thick as his legs. His cameo would keep him concealed and the trees would make it hard to target him. He dropped the effort on night vision and focused a tiny investment of power into his monocle, connecting it to Fluer's goggles. From the view, the pony was still in the forest, but just outside the hut. She seemed to be scanning it for entry points.

Now just to wait for Fluer to do her thing and bring him the next piece of the puzzle. With it in his grasp, the Rogues of the Inner Order would have to bow to his will. Even the Princesses might think twice before moving against him.

***  
>Ponyville: Sparkle Residence<p>

Twilight panted in the shower stall, her forehooves still braced against the wall, as she watched the purple colored blob in the fogged over bathroom mirror. It moved as she did, rocking a bit, knees wobbly, tail shaky from holding it up so long. The shower spigot above her still dripped hot, scented water, but the shower was effectively over. Though the aftershocks of her... workout... were continuing to make the local environment move unsteadily.

She blinked slowly and focused enough to rinse her toy before returning it to its secure hiding place behind the vent. _There...done...by the Princess that felt good..._ Twilight nabbed a towel as she walked rather shakily out of the stall and over to the counter where her mane and coat brushes and oils sat. She tossed the towel back and up, turning it with magic to wrap about her hair before doing the same with a second towel and her tail. She'd learned that little trick from Rarity. Back in Canterlot, her mane and tail would just have hung wet and drip dried until they were tangled messes that required hours of combing and barely restrained strings of expletive deletives.

Reaching up with a free hoof, Twilight wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at herself with a critical eye. _What's up with you Sparkle? Why these dreams? Why now? What's the connection? You can't keep having these late night self pleasure sessions. Spike is already getting curious about the lack of bath water in the morning._

Twilight frowned as the mirror mimicked her. _I don't think I've been ensorceled. I've been sorta aroused before, but nothing like this. The dreams are getting weirder. Something is definitely going on, but what?!_ She growled and levitated a brush and third fluffy towel, which she proceeded to use to dry and comb out her coat. _This calls for more Research!_

The the towels and brush at work, Twilight couldn't help but grin as she trotted out of the bathroom a bit more steadily than a moment ago. She didn't, however, head for the library, but instead, the kitchen. She always felt really thirsty after a session in the shower. And this called for some cold milk. Which they thankfully had in stock in the icebox. A levitated glass and milk were nothing to Twilight's skill, even keeping up the grooming at the same time. She still got embarrassed when 'showing off' in front of other ponies, even her friends. But she had started to become more comfortable with the fact that she WAS naturally gifted. And being the Element of Magic only made her more powerful.

That line of thought gave Twilight pause as she sipped from her glass. _Hmmm...is that why the dreams have Luna in them? She and I are equal, or more likely, as close to equal as possible, in magic ability and strength? Nopony I've ever met, outside the Princesses of course, have the sheer umph that I do. And that has always kinda bothered me. But still, Princess Luna is WAY beyond me. She's a Goddess. I can't move the Moon._

Twilight glanced out the kitchen window into the clear night sky at the Moon, full and looming above. _At least, I don't think I can. I wouldn't even know where to start on that. And that's not the problem at hoof anyway._

Settling her rump down at the small kitchen table she and Spike shared, Twilight summoned another brush from the bathroom and set it aside for later. Then she reached metaphysically into the library main room and plucked a short stack of books she'd been reading earlier. They were all the Ponyville library had on dreams that weren't works of fiction. One covered the interpretation of dream imagery, while another was on the mechanics of the brain at rest and the effects of various sleep disorders on the body and psyche. The last was a very small spellbook that had a few sleep related enchantments in it.

So far, they had not proved particularly useful in finding the reason or origin of the strange dreams. The interpretation book was far too vague in her opinion. The imagery could be meaningless, or have multiple layers of interconnected meaning and reference to everything else. It was devilishly simple and infernally complex at the same time, and though she'd never admit it out loud, hard to get her head around. The second book had proven to be much more her cup of tea with harder science and firmer magical theory. Twilight had to admit she'd been almost wholly unaware of just how important sleep and even the simplest of dreams were to the pony mind, and to unicorn magic specifically. She'd only barely skimmed the third book, primarily due to it being referenced in the second.

Twilight set the books on the table next to the brush and opened the one on sleep disorders to her awaiting bookmark. The section she had last stopped in was the most promising so far, as it was covering different types of dreams and the parts of the mind they stimulated as well as the theories behind them. The Moon light and her horn's glow were all she needed to read by. Her milk was almost gone and her coat was drying nicely as she flipped the pages, gobbling up the words printed there. Once she was dry enough, Twilight set the towel aside and started brushing in long strokes going down her neck to her withers, to her dock and down to her fetlocks. The long, smooth strokes were an important part of the coat care she'd picked up from Rarity. And it showed too. Twilight had never thought of herself as pretty, but the extra work got her a good bit more stares and the occasional whistle or catcall.

Twilight's milk was gone by the time she reached the end of the chapter. She was about to close it in frustration when she spied a footnote with a heading that made her breath catch.

Lucid Dreaming

Twilight's eyes snapped to focus and shot left and right she devoured the small text paragraphs. _Dreams I can control through will? THAT'S what Momma Sparkle is talking about! Let's see... control, meditation, possible treatment for nightmares and other disturbing dreams...yep, thats what I need. But, says the ability requires months of meditation and sleep exercises to achieve?_

The purple unicorn sighed and facehoofed, grumbling to herself. "I don't have time for that... wait... there's a secondary footnote..."

Had Spike been awake to see the smile that crept across Twilight's face as she read the subscript and looked at the neglected spellbook, he would have just gone back to sleep and waited for the panicked screams from the local populace to start.

***  
>Canterlot Castle: Royal Court Hall<p>

Luna shifted for what seemed the millionth time on the Throne, levitating her history book in front of herself. The giant seat was comfortable enough, but with Celestia as its only occupant for so long, it had a groove pressed into the cushions shaped like her much larger sister. She had decided to flip past the boring parts about the gryphon wars and get to the slightly more juicy political intrigue that filled the peaceful years until the Second Minotaur Uprising. Account after account of backstabbing and betrayal wasn't helping her mental picture of the pony elite that still inhabited Canterlot. But the various detailed reports of ponies shacking up to form new alliances was entertaining at least.

Luna sighed, reaching the current chapter's end. _Where is that bailiff and my doughnuts? Pony Joe's is but a few minutes flight from here._ She sighed again and clapped the book closed. _And I sent a pony that can't fly to go get them. I am a sure win for the Smartest Princess Award._

For what seemed the trillionth time, Luna checked her dream tendrils again. Still no dreaming Twilight Sparkle. Still no doughnuts. She set the book down and looked out the tall court windows at her Moon. It glowed brighter, showing off its beauty for its Mistress. Watching that happen always brought a smile to Luna's face.

_Well, now what? There isn't anything going on. I could just leave. But, then the bailiff will bring the food, knowing my luck. And Twilight will go back to sleep and before I know it, Celestia and the Sun will be up and staring uncomfortably at me._

Luna frowned and and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the rest. _And what should I do about that dream Twilight had? Ignore it? Confront her? Was it a one time thing, or does she think about me like that often? And why me? I mean, we've directly interacted twice so far. And the first time barely counts. Nightmare Night was fun and very informative. I really do wish I had more nights like it to spend with the common ponies._

_But, why me Twilight? I suppose we ARE similar in many ways. But..._ Luna sighed again expressively. _She is a cute mare, I guess. And it has been a long time..._

Luna frowned harder at that thought, but caught her breath as the tendril she'd left to monitor the Ponyville library suddenly sent her a signal. Twilight was asleep again. Now she just had to hope the young unicorn dreamed of her again.

_And this time Sparkle, I'm not going to let your libido do the talking for your brain. We, my dear Twilight, are going to have a fun little chat to keep this Night Goddess from going batty!_

She chuckled to herself and made sure she was comfortable. Stregthening her dream magic once more, Luna scanned the Element's mind for a entry point. It would take a few minutes for the mind of a pony to drift deep enough into unconsciousness for a dream to form fully. _We are going to have fun fun fun! And not the sexy times fun, you hear me Twilight? Just regular ol' goddess-invading-your-dreams-to-shoot-the-breeze-b ecause-she's-bored-to-tears-with-pointless-duties- and-meaningless-bureaucracy type fun._

Twilight's mind flared with activity as her dreams started, and a second later Luna could feel her connection grow stronger. She was being dreamed of once more. But, this time, she planned on being smarter and more patient. Sensing the dream better than before.

"Pretending like I know what I'm doing." Luna mumbled under her breath a moment before the blurred sights and sounds of the new dreamscape formed in her mind's eye.

Vaguely 'in front' of her consciousness, she could make out a large observatory room dominated by a huge telescope pointed up through a slit in a domed roof. Beyond the ceiling, Luna could see her Moon, looking just as the real one did, if a bit larger than normal. The observatory itself was lit by a few lanterns placed on regularly spaced tables which were covered with star charts and notes, compasses and measuring tools. In the center of the room was an old blackboard covered in bright scribbles that Luna couldn't make out. And standing at the board, horn aglow as she directed the chalk at scribbling another line, was Twilight Sparkle.

The unicorn was mumbling to herself and Luna couldn't pick up what any of it was. And while this dream didn't feel, or look, particularly intimate at the moment, it could turn that way at any second. Luna noted Twilight was wearing her Starswirl the Bearded costume from Nightmare Night, or at least just the hat. And her perspective seemed odd. She seemed to be looking down on Twilight from behind, as if she was sitting on one of the tables. Her dreamself wasn't moving either, which was preventing her from looking around and very annoying.

_Ok, oddities aside, this looks like a normal, non-sexy dream. But I swear if things go wrong this time, I'm just gonna goddess up and take control._

Pushing herself conceptually forward, Luna stepped into the dream and assumed the place of her dreamself. From inside, the details were even more vivid, just like last time. Luna could even smell the chalk on the board and dust on the shelves and tables. She noted idly that she was standing on the cool tile floor and her helmet felt heavy on her brow. Her perspective was still strange, being above the young unicorn, as if she was very tall, or floating. Luna frowned, moving to adjust the blasted helm. It had shifted so that the nose guard was starting to edge into her vision. She never saw why the Nightmare had liked it. It made her look bald, even with her power full upon her and her mane transformed.

_Wait, what?_ Luna crossed her eyes, focusing on the sliver of cobalt armor.

**"WHY IN THE ACTUAL BUCK AM I WEARING THE NIGHTMARE'S ARMOR?!"**

Twilight whirled around as she dropped the chalk to the floor. Luan flared her nostrils in anger at being made up as a part of herself she cared to forget about, but the shocked look on Twilight's face made her clench her teeth and suck in a breath. Twilight's shocked look turned to pure delight and she clapped her forehooves together. That reaction took Luna by surprise and stole much of her anger with it.

"Oh good! You're here! You're actually here!" Twilight Sparkle smiled happily and started jumping in a small circle. "Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! I LOVE when a theory pans out! It worked and you're actually here!"

Luna stared back at Twilight, jaw slack and brow pinched in utter lack of understanding. She was not expecting this. Not at all. _What by all the heaven's stars is going on here? This is even more disturbing than a sex dream would have been!_

"Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of the Element of Magic, I demand to know what in the hay you think you are doing?!" Luna growled between her clenched teeth, biting down, more than metaphorically on her anger. Non-pulsed by her display, Twilight continued to grin widely, rocking back and forth happily. The now much smaller unicorn stepped up her, looking Luna over from horn to hoof.

"I'm so surprised it worked! And so quickly too! I found a spell to allow me to start lucid dreaming. I thought I could then examine the odd dreams I've been having, from the inside, so to speak. And, after the last one, with your odd behavior, it got me to thinking. I mean, you're the Night Princess, dreams are part of your deific portfolio. So, it stands to reason that you could affect them, or sense them, or even communicate through them! Then, using the spell I found, I started dreaming and thought of you again, so I could kill both curious birds with one stone of discovery. And it worked! WHOOO!"

Twilight whooped again and paused to catch her breath before spinning around and scooping up the chalk she's dropped. "Oh! I need to factor this into the formula! With it, and your permission of course, I could use this for NEVER ENDING RESEARCH!"

Luna gawked as Twilight cackled in a most sinister way. Her mind faltered as it tried to process all the info she was receiving. Twilight had somehow planned this? She knew Luna was there and communicating with her through her dream magic? Twilight had some spell that allowed all this? And that still didn't explain her current appearance as Nightmare Moon.

Frowning more, Luna separated a portion of her consciousness from being part of the dreamscape to being apart from it and observing the very dream stuff that formed it. It was indeed, from this perspective, being magically guided. And in such a way that it gave Luna a start of recognition. Twilight had bound this dream reality much in the same way she herself would have. But Twilight's work was amateurish compared to her own.

_Not bad for a first timer! Celestia is right. This one has skill and power. This is insane for her to have just stumbled on to! But...let's talk to her. See what the little powerhouse has to say for herself. And to be rid of this mockery._

Luna's dual mind embraced the dream and bent to her godly will, reforming it directly this time, rather than trying to influence the dreamer. Inside the shared experience, Luna's dream body shrank and reformed to her normal self, though her mane still flowed with stars from the night sky. Twilight was still chattering away to herself at high speed, the chalk flying across the board in a blur as she wrote and rewrote equations and magical charts. Luan stalked towards her and yanked the chalk away, getting her attention and fixing Twilight with a regal glare.

"Explain yourself. Slowly this time, you strange little pony. How is it you know I am here? How have you manipulated this dream? And why, for the love of Celestia did you make look as...as that, thing?"

Twilight gasped as the chalk was wrestled from her control and looked at Luna in shock before seeming to realize she was in the presence of a Princess. "Um... well... I guessed? You...um... acted oddly in that last dream. And it got me thinking. As the Night Goddess, all things that happen at night are kind of your domain. And it stood to reason...albeit loosely, that your powers would extend over dreams. If you could interact with a dreamer, then that would certainly explain your behavior, since it was really you, and not what my mind imagined."

Twilight scuffed one hoof against the observatory's tile floor, looking down at Luna's hoofcaps. "And, well, I've been dreaming of you a lot recently... and well, I was curious if you were causing the um... sexy dreams." She swallowed hard and continued quickly. "Anyway! I found a spell that could induce a lucid dreaming state and I thought I'd test it out. As for why...the Nightmare Moon form...well, I thought that you might not want me to know you were peeking in on my dreams, and it seemed like a way to get you to break character. Though, in hindsight, I see now that it was the wrong way to go about it."

"You think?" Luna let what was left of her scorn to drip through those two words. She was impressed. Mightily so. But, Twilight, in her eagerness had overstepped herself.

"I do not find this amusing young Ms. Sparkle. I truly do not wish to ever be reminded of that part of my life. I left the Nightmare behind and now I wish only to move forward. Please...do not bring it up again."

Twilight snapped her head up and nodded rapidly. "Yes! I promise Princess Luna!"

"Tck...no, just Luna, please. Here, in this place? We are more equals than ever. I must commend you on your spell weaving Ms. Sparkle." Luna let a hint of a smile creep onto her face. "You are ever as talented as my sister says. And very smart as well, to figure out my dream magics and set a trap for me all in one go."

_Remind me not to get on Twilight's bad side. She's a doozy of talent in her own right before adding the Element and my sister's favoritism._ Luna shook her head at the thought.

Twilight smiled friendly. "As you wish Prin...er, Luna. And please, call me Twilight. Mrs. Sparkle is my mother. Sorry again...'bout, well... you know."

Luna sighed and shook her head again. "I accept your apology. And, I must continue to wonder at your rapid capture of thought and theory. But... you mentioned odd dreams? Like the...um, private one I interrupted?" Luna paused. "I suppose it is my turn to be sorry about that."

"No no! That's quite alright! Actually, I'm glad you did. Those dreams have been really taking it outta me these last few weeks." Twilight's grin turned sheepish. "Um...and, obviously, without your timely interruption...well, we wouldn't be here. I've had several like that one. All with...um...you, in them. Not that I think of you like that!"

Twilight stammered and waved her hooves in front of herself. "I didn't want the dreams... not that they weren't pleasant. But, normally, I don't have those sorts of dreams! So, I've been looking into sleep and dream studies..."

Luna smirked, watching Twilight blush and stammer her way through the explanation of studies and the cringe worthy dreams she'd been having. She noted that Twilight seemed to be mostly embarrassed by them, but did take some pleasure from them. Even if she was quick to downplay that. As with the one Luna had interrupted, they had a strong sexual theme and herself as constants. It was a little disturbing and more than a little embarrassing for Luna to hear of her repeated conquests over Twilight's innocence. By the time she was through recounting, both dark colored ponies were blushing furiously.

"Yes. Well." Luna blinked rapidly, not quite able to make eye contact with Twilight.

"So...I'm sure you can understand why I was concerned then?"

"Well... how do I put this delicately?" Luna tapped her hoof against her chin and squinted at Twilight. "Twilight... have you had...er...your First Heat?"

Twilight's blush flared even deeper, reaching all the way up her horn. For mares, the First Heat was always rough and embarrassing, though it marked the transition from foal to young mare. It made them mad with lust and a need to mate that was almost animalistic. Thankfully, it only lasted for a few days. During that time, the young filly would be surrounded by her female family members and friends, kept safe and sane until the overloading hormones worked their way out of her system. Afterwards, the heat came regularly, once a month, but massively reduced. It was the only time a mare was fertile, but unlike the First, it hardly had any effect on the mare's behavior. Still gave them a headache and soreness in their joints for a few days after it was over though.

Luna cringed at Twilight's reaction, recalling her own First, so many centuries ago. It was not an unpleasant memory so much as extremely awkward. _And this is almost as awkward as that was! But it is weird. Why would she be having dreams like that?_

Twilight was staring at her hooves, finding them very interesting. "Um...yes." She looked back up at Luna, her blush making her look incredibly cute and young. "Uh, l..l..last sp...spring. I uh... had my friends help me through it."

"Ok. So, that's not the cause. When did the dreams start? Were you doing anything of note then, or just before they started?"

Twilight breathed a heavy sigh of relief and licked her lips. "I've thought about that too. There isn't anything I can point out. It was a normal night that the first dream happened during, which was a tuesday, the fourth, about 47 minutes after moonrise. The preceding day and weeks prior were all also equally normal. Though there was another monster sighting on the edge of the Everfree about two months ago, but that turned out to be just Zecora again."

"You marked the time of my Moon's rise?" Luna grinned. "That night was particularly pretty, if I might take pride in my work for a moment. The stars in the Stallion's Belt were fabulously brilliant that evening and I wanted to share that."

The unicorn smiled and nodded. "Yes! I noticed that too! It was very pretty. I usually do mark the moonrise as my official bedtime, most nights. Spike, my assistant, usually falls asleep about an hour or so before that. I have time to do some quiet stargazing before the moon is up. Since the Belt was so bright and clear though, I stayed up a little later."

Luna's grin widened as she pictured Twilight peeking at her Heavens with a telescope from her treetop balcony. "So, no unusual activity, beyond a firm appreciation for beauty. I take it you checked for a magical based cause? Tia always tells me you are through."

Twilight nodded again and covered her mouth as she started to giggle. "Oh goodness...you... you really call Princess Celestia 'Tia'? Like, to her face?"

"Yes, though it is hardly the worst thing I've called my sibling." Luna chuckled to herself. "If you should call her that someday, I think she might faint!"

"Me?! I couldn't do that! She's the Princess for crying out loud!" Twilight waved her hooves dismissively, barely containing more giggles behind her smile.

"True. But, I believe, she might like it. In private, of course."

Luna and Twilight looked at each other for a moment more before they both burst out laughing. Each imagining Celestia falling over in an exaggerated faint at Twilight use of her pet name. Luna couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed quite so hard and with somepony other than her sister. It was starting to hurt her sides just a little, but she didn't care.

_Good Celestia, but this is better than that stuffy Night Court! I could do this all night. What a wonderful pony to find in this time and age. Maybe this time I'll get to experience the other side of magic of Friendship. No more Rainbow-nados, please!_

***  
>Canterlot Castle: Celestia's Royal Chambers<p>

The thing wearing Celestia as a suit looked down dispassionately at the two pegasi on the floor. Her guards. Each sound asleep and none the wiser. As soon as they had entered the room, the Dream took them. And they were but the first.

It walked over to open doors of the antechamber and pushed their bodies aside so the doors could be closed. Not that it mattered really. Pausing, it looked into the mirror there and smiled lopsidedly at the reflection.

"I'm in control now Celestia. And you can't stop it. Nor will your sister or precious Elements. In your sleep I will take them all and in the Dream I will keep them. So don't be sad. You'll have company soon enough."

The Celestia puppet smirked and adjusted the tiara atop her head before stepping out and pulling the doors closed behind her. The dark, quiet castle beckoned just down the hall and it would soon know the Dream


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

With the giggles firmly under a tight lid, Luna showed Twilight the basics of her dream magics, focusing on manipulating their shared reality. Twilight took to it like a starving pony at a hay buffet. It was awe-inspiring to see her mind at work after only hearing about it secondhoof. To consume and process so much new information and grasp the principles firmly was one thing, but to be firm enough on those principles to peek at the theories behind them was wholly another. The gifted mare was already controlling those dream and mental energies in moments while Luna had struggled through trial and error over the course of decades.

"So, you're saying if I want to move an object in a dream–or change a fundamental property of it like size or shape–that I need to insert my will over the passive will of the dreamer? That they, the dream originator, need to be NOT paying attention to said object? So that when the change is made, the mind accepts it as its own creation or alteration?" Twilight rubbed her chin with one hoof. "Like a slight-of-hoof trick? Direct their attention to something else, and then while their backs are turned, make the switch?"

Luna clapped her hooves together and grinned. "Yes! That is how it is done, Twilight. Once you are practiced enough, you can make several alterations at once and control the flow of the dream. You must remember that you are not dealing with a pony, per se, but the MIND of a pony that believes it is still in the waking world. The changes you make should be cues to that mind's memory, essentially tricking it to do your bidding. This isn't inherently malicious. It is merely the way I have learned something so complex as a mind can be communicated with on a metaphorically larger scale than simple verbal communication with the individual!"

"You mean that by manipulation of the dream around the individual, you can communicate to their subconscious mind as well?" Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin and tilted her head. "I understand that, I think. But why?"

Luna blinked at the question. "Well... I suppose, it is about control. Dream logic, as I am sure you are aware, is a faulty beast. However, if you remind the dreamer about things, you can keep it from falling apart. Or, at least, slow the decay. Suppose that you are trying to help the dreamer recall missing details of a past event, or conversely, forget details. By controlling where that stream of consciousness goes, you can bring it to those hidden memories or steer it away from them. It also helps to prevent a dream suddenly changing without warning." Luna arched an eyebrow at Twilight. "Sleeping minds tend to bore quickly and change the dream reality with little rhyme or reason. A nightmare could arise, or more… private dreams could manifest."

Twilight had the good sense to look embarrassed. She blushed and looked away from Luna. The alicorn smirked. "Take, for instance, your Starswirl the Bearded hat. I take it that it was important when you started this dream, because it makes you feel smart, and you were experimenting with magic just as he used to. However, it became unimportant, and you stopped paying attention to it. Lacking importance to the dream narrative, it was removed. You didn't take it off. It simply vanished, and this is okay to your dreaming mind's continuity, even though you are aware of the dream being what it is."

Twilight looked up sharply, waving a hoof above her horn. Luna chuckled. "Now, let us try a small experiment. This is a novel experience for me. I've never been in the lucid dream of such a gifted pony before. So, while you are paying attention, why don't we create something fantastic? Um… Since this is your dream, why don't you go first?"

"Alright." Twilight scrunched her lips in concentration. Trying to do magic while not actually doing magic was a difficult concept, but Luna just knew Twilight Sparkle would be able to pull it off.

_It's odd, feeling such trust in a pony I do not know very well._ Luna pondered. _Though, I suppose that her regular reports to Tia have helped build that feeling. Tia's own trust in this mare must have transferred or rubbed off on me. And odd though it may seem, I still find comfort in it._

Beside the two mares, two lumpy, floating shapes formed from pure dreamstuff. They looked like clouds taking shape in the sky as it grew cool and wet in the evening hours. Each mass was bigger than the present ponies and bobbed up and down slightly as Twilight directed their growth. It felt as if a long time was passing, as she watched the constructs come into being, but it was only her mind drinking in all the detail Twilight put into the formations. The shapeless blobs of proto-dream matter reached realization and suddenly two huge cushions floated before them.

"Take a seat!"

Luna caressed her cushion idly with her hoof. It felt like the softest spider silk. It was otherwise simply a large pillow that had Luna's own Cutie Mark as a pattern, while Twilight's pillow had her Cutie Mark. They both floated just off the ground, paying no heed to physics. It felt to Luna just like resting on a cloud in the waking world. The stitching was exquisite, easily equal to any such furniture that graced the Castle. Luna admired the mare's attention to detail again, but felt she couldn't let herself be outdone in what was her own demesne.

Luna smirked at Twilight as she summoned a dark cloud of her own. As she took her seat on the cushion Twilight had so graciously provided, Luna ripped the smoke and mists apart, weaving it back together as a whimsical tea set, cups and saucers with long stirring spoons set for two. Hot spiced tea poured from the small tea pot into two wide cups atop a floating platter that was made of the same wispy material.

"Princ- er, Luna?" Luna startled out of her momentary reprieve as Twilight spoke. The unicorn was looking at her, examining her face.

"Yes, Twilight?"

"Can I ask about how your reintegration has been going? I'm very curious to know how you've adjusted."

Canterlot Castle: Celestia's Chambers

Inside the dark skybridge that led to Celestia's personal chambers, a lone alicorn walked unsteadily towards the security checkpoint. Her face was a determined scowl, ears flattened against her skull, eyes flicking back to look at her rear set of legs. After the first few steps past the small antechamber with the mirror, the tremors started, getting worse with every inch of distance covered. Celestia stumbled again as her left rear leg kicked out wildly. It hit one of the magically re-enforced windows and bounced off without leaving so much as a scuff mark. The Celestia puppet reached out with a wing to brace against the opposite wall, hijacked magenta eyes narrowed to glare at her reflection in the glass.

"Oh give it a rest, Celestia! This body is mine now, and you will behave! Accept defeat like the graceful mare you are supposed to be."

Celestia's rear stopped kicking and dropped into a sitting position, pulling the rest of the body with it. The puppet rolled its eyes, feeling the original owner's anger wash over it. "Stupid quadruped. Fine! Fight all you wish; you are not winning this time. Our last meeting was a fluke. A bit of bad luck on my part, I assure you. I'm not going to lose again and be stuck with that insane conglomerate of fools down in the Gardens. After I absorb more of your pathetic followers into the Dream, I won't even have to look at your hideous face any longer. I will reclaim my individual body, even if I have to use this one for the raw materials! When that is done, I shall rule the skies once more! I will command the fear of nations! I will take control of those little bastard offspring of mine, and your ponies will be reintroduced to their proper place on the food chain!"

"Excuse me, Your Highness?"

The puppet alicorn snapped its head up sharply to see three freshly arrived pegasi in Celestia's personal guard. They wore the same golden armor as the two back inside the royal bedchamber. Its eyes flicked nervously from guard to guard, forelegs back peddling. Her rear steadfastly refused to move and the frantic scampering only served to wrinkle up the long rug that ran the length of the skybridge.

"Is something amiss, Princess? Why are you sitting in the hall? Is there anything we can help you with? We heard a noise." The lead of the three looked pointedly at the window that was recently kicked. He had some sort of insignia on his chest that denoted rank, though the puppeteer didn't care what it might signify.

"Yes," the Celestia-doll smiled sweetly, her borrowed voice sounded loving with forced calm and only a hint of tremor. "Sleep." All three Dayguard ponies crumpled like discarded toys into a heap on the floor, their helmets clanking loudly together. Their eyes closed, and their breathing became deep and steady. After a moment, one of them began to snore.

"You see, Celestia?'' The puppet smirked, looking back at its reflection in the glass. "I win this time. This time, you won't have your fire to help you. This time, you won't have me trapped. No pony will come save you. None will hear your screams. Every pony I pull into the Dream will fuel my power. Their wills will bend to my lies. It's almost sad that you are strong enough to not be so readily absorbed. Now you have to watch me do it to them. I wouldn't wish that torture even on you, old mare." The puppeteer laughed with a hoarse croak. "Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I would! Especially… on you."

The thing wearing Celestia strained against gravity, using foreign anatomy and, slowly, quivering in refusal the whole way its rear legs rose back into a standing position.

"I win."

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

"I've written Princess Celestia on the subject several times, but she has been vague in her answers. For your privacy's sake, I'm sure!" Twilight grinned sheepishly. "But I'm curious to know how it's going, as there aren't too many other ponies that get to come back to society after a thousand year absence. If you don't mind my asking, of course!"

"N-no. I don't mind." Luna frowned, looking down at her smoke-sculpted cup of tea. "It... it has been rough, I must admit. There has been a great deal of changes over the last thousand years. Some are large and obvious." Luna flashed Twilight a wiry smile before frowning again. "Others… not so much. There isn't a day that passes that I do not make some faux pas."

Twilight nodded, a sympathetic frown on her face. "I can imagine. Before coming to Ponyville, I had practically zero friends and even less social experience. I know the feeling, or, at least I knew something that must feel similar to what you are going through Luna." Twilight rested her chin on one hoof contemplatively. "If only Spike were here! I've been thinking of a list of questions to ask you, should the opportunity ever present itself. And here we are with no one to write it out. I don't even have any paper or a quill to use! Aaaarrrggh!"

Luna chuckled, smirking at the young unicorn's frustration. "Twilight? We are in a dream. In your mind. You can simply will the list into being if you choose, just as you did these fine cushions. I would be interested in hearing what questions you have for me."

Twilight looked at her, eyes wide with both understanding and instant embarrassment for not realizing it sooner. "Oh. Yeah."

Canterlot Castle: North Wing, Third Floor

The Celestia puppet wobbled down the hall, pass the servant's commons, a lopsided grin on its face. With a chuckle as unsteady as its gait, it paused to look at a door decorated with intricate polished bronze work depicting the Cutie Mark it wore on its flank.

"You really have built up the place since I last saw it, Celestia. Very elegant. I like all the hardwood and marble, very castle-ly. Almost a shame I'm going to reduce it to a pile of broken stone and rotten timbers. But you should be glad that I'm going to make the ruins my new nest! It's perfect! High up, with a commanding view of the countryside. It has fresh water and a nearby food supply. And, best of all, it'll have the legend of not one, or two, but THREE gods meeting their ends at my talons!"

The not-Celestia giggled to itself. "I think I might keep your tower intact though. Perhaps I'll spread rumors that you are still alive, imprisoned there. Do you think that would be enough bait to draw out the little survivors of my return? Maybe I'll put a statue of you there—oh! Let's make it just a broken piece of your head! Ha! The looks on their faces before I burst in should be as delicious as their horseflesh!"

Celestia's left rearmost leg spasmed violently; hoof connecting with the body's own backside with a meaty sounding thud. Her wings flared out, maintaining balance as the puppet grimaced. Faint voices reached its ears as a trio of earth pony maids rounded the corner, talking quietly amongst themselves. At the sight of their ruler they all halted with a gasp and bowed low, ignoring her odd posture and the look of surprise on her face.

"Just watch, Celestia," it snickered, voice quiet as it looked at the bowing ponies with one eye, "you can take a little solace in knowing they aren't dead. Yet. Merely dreaming. Though, of course, they won't wake up to feed themselves. And I will get a might peckish after I've dealt with your sister and the Elements. Need to bulk up before I grind what's left of Discord to so much dust. At least they won't see it coming."

Turning to face the servants, it stalked awkwardly towards them, wings still splayed out for balance. The maids looked up, their faces going from surprised to confusion as they watched their majesty wobble menacingly forward. The tallest of the ponies, a mare with a light brown coat and mass of blonde curls for a mane, braved a step forward before kneeling.

"Are you… alright, your Majesty? You seem a little shaky. Should we fetch the royal physician?"

"No child." The puppeteer pulled Celestia's lips into a wide, manic grin. "I am right as rain! Fit as a fiddle! Fresh as a feather and feeling just as light! Though, now that you mention it, I could use a pick-me-up." Its voice dropped an octave as it closed distance to the trio. "And don't you three look… just… scrumptious!"

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

Luna raised an eyebrow, watching Twilight read over her list to herself. She had formed a scroll of considerable length with golden caps on the roller rod and a red ribbon, just like the type she frequently used to correspond with Celestia. A small jar of ink and a red orange feather quill floated next to it. She couldn't read it, but Luna could see traces of Twilight's flowy script along the edges where the parchment curled. The ink was the same rich shade of purple as Twilight's mane.

"Do you have many questions, Twilight? That seems a long scroll to me."

Twilight smiled, the scroll rolling into the 'start' position. "Oh no, not many questions really. I gave myself room for making notes and writing any new questions that occur to me as we go along."

"Ah." The alicorn licked her lips and focused her gaze in front of her nose, her will summoning a cartoonishly oversized scroll into existence. She crafted it with a polished obsidian roller and a silver chain. She made the parchment a dark navy blue and gave herself an inkstone that glittered like the star specks in her own mane. Then Luna created a quill with a shimmering tail like a comet.

"Um… Luna? What is all that for?"

Luna glanced back at Twilight, eyes wide. "Oh! Uh, this is for… n-notes. Yes! Notes! I thought I would… capture my thoughts as we spoke. If that is alright?"

Twilight grinned, tilting her head. "No, that is perfectly fine! Such a good idea too, Luna! I should have thought of that myself."

_Stop trying to one up her, damnit! Twilight is new at this and if you anger her, this might be the last conversation you get!_ Luna shook her head to clear her thoughts. _She doesn't seem to notice yet, but I shouldn't try my luck. I know it rarely plays out well for me._

"Okay!" Twilight dotted something on her scroll and sat up neatly on her pillow. "For the first item, let's start with something easy. Are you caught up on current Royal customs and Equestrian National Policy?"

Luna dropped her head onto her forehooves with a grunt. "I thought you said we were starting with something easy?" She groaned and looked at the floor. "I suppose…"

Twilight held her quill to her parchment, ready to transcribe Luna's answers as the princess faded to an uncomfortable silence. The unicorn waited a moment and was about to speak when Luna lifted her head again.

"If you wish a short answer, then yes. I am well versed on the modern ways of the Courts and position of Equestria," Luna paused, as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "I can quote our national laws and name our allies and enemies. I could oversee a political function, if called on."

Luna's voice faded and she frowned. I certainly could oversee something, if Celestia would give me half a chance with anything more demanding than a parade!

"You don't sound confident, Luna." Twilight wore a concerned look on her face even as her horn glowed with the magic directing her writing quill as she took notes.

"Well, perhaps I'm not!" Luna slapped a hoof against her floating pillow with a muffled 'whumph.' Her pupils contracted as she glared at the floor. "I never get to do anything meaningful! When would I ever get to use my knowledge in a practical way? I hold Court each night now, but no pony shows up most of the time. Tia proceeds over any event that comes up because no pony ever asks me to! Unless it's something insipid like fireworks to celebrate the event my sister oversaw. I may sleep most the day, but I am a Princess of Equestria as much as Tia is! I want to be as great a princess as she is but I never get any practice."

Luna looked up at her companion to gauge Twilight's reaction. She was surprised at herself for letting that out. Never had she voiced her frustrations to another pony since her return. Even on Nightmare Night she had only let the smallest hint of it shine through. She had dreaded then, when she had opened up to Twilight, that the mare would run or rail against her for daring to be anything less than happy with Celestia. That fear of rejection tasted fresh on her tongue again. For the second time since her return however, the simple, reassuring smile on Twilight's face washed that taste away.

"Um… please don't tell Tia that. She would misunderstand." Luna blinked quickly and glanced at the chalkboard and Twilight's sprawling notes and equations, unable to meet the unicorn's eyes. "I'm… uh, not even supposed to be using my dream powers… Heh."

Twilight Sparkle reached out and placed one hoof over Luna's. "Don't worry Luna. I don't report everything to the Princess. But I know the feeling of having a lot of knowledge about something and no way to use it. I imagine that running the country is difficult enough without that added stress. It makes me admire you even more for having that strength of character, Luna."

_She admires me?_ Luna blinked and widened eyes in surprise, feeling a blush begin to creep up her neck.

"I have strength of character? Are you certain that you are not confusing me for a taller, paler Princess?" Luna grinned lopsidedly. "I believe it's my lack of strength that holds me back, Twilight. I'm… I'm not even sure why I just told you all of that. I love Tia dearly, and I'm grateful for everything she's done to guide my return, truly. But I feel so…"

Luna waved her hoof about in a loose circle, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for the modern phrasing. "I feel so… off the wheel? Is that right? I want to say I am uninformed on certain topics."

"Ah! 'Out of the loop' is the phrasing you are looking for." Twilight supplied with that same beatific smile and not an ounce of ridicule or impatience. "I suppose that would be a good segue to my second question: Are you caught up on modern social customs and pony interaction norms? I can hear that your use of modern speaking patterns has become much stronger since Nightmare Night. Congratulations!"

Canterlot Castle: North Wing, Stairwell Two

The wooden door that led to the third floor from the north stairwell was simple but sturdy, crafted from oak heartwood by a master carpenter. It guarded that entry way with strength and grace on silent hinges as surely as any living, breathing guard pony. It was equipped with a solid iron drop bar to lock it from the inside, should there ever be an invasion of the castle from outside forces. This door and dozens of others just like it were commissioned by Princess Celestia forty seven years ago to replace the previous fixtures from 200 years before. Its kick plate, worn smooth and dulled by the press of hooves from thousands of maids overloaded with laundry, armed guards, and castle visitors vibrated quietly from where it was embedded in the railing overlooking the stairwell; its last kick received ending its long duty.

Celestia' body paced into the stairwell, crunching wood chips and planks that used to be a door underhoof. When it reached the railing, it looked down the three flights to the ground floor below. "Oh buck this."

The Celestia thing looked at the polished metal plate and its own reflection with a wicked sneer. A powerful foreleg reached out and pressed against the wood and stone banister, making it creak and pop as it leaned forward. "No, I do not think I shall be taking the stairs. While I must admire your tenacity, Celestia, taking a fall down the stairwell is beneath my dignity. I may not be in my own body at the moment, but I do have your wings. This route will be much quicker!"

The banister gave way with a series of snaps, polished oak splintering and marble shattering, raining down on the floor below. White wings spread, filling the third floor landing before the not-Celestia leaped off the ledge and fell as the stones had. The stairwell was not designed to allow true flight for something with the Princess' wingspan. A regular Pegasus would find no difficulty, but the best Celestia's body could do was somewhat slow its descent. Hooves as white as the wings hit the ground a split second after leaving the third floor with a tremendous crash, smashing the intricate tile work into so much masonry dust under them. It flexed at the knees, taking a prolonged moment to reorient itself, a sly grin spreading across its lips.

"So you do feel pain, huh, old mare?" The puppeteer regarded its reflection in the glass window that looked out into the Moonlit courtyard. "You're showing your age, Celestia. No longer are you the wee spring chick that defeated me all those centuries ago! How long has it been? About two thousand years, give or take?" The puppeteer made Celestia snort. So long ago now it must be myth. Do your ponies still fear the dark? Do they tell their foals stories about the Night Terror any longer, hmm? I know you gave my Darkness to your bratty little sister. How's that worked out for her?"

It turned and smirked at the door that lead out to the Castle's main kitchen. Even through the old oak the sounds of bustling ponies made its way into the stairwell. Servants and staff ponies worked at preparing the royal meals for the next day; they had cleaned up the last evening's repast and were making last minute midnight snacks. "Really, I don't see how you ponies ever got past the grazing herd stage of evolution. Must be some sort of cosmic joke. Perhaps you smell grass or oats or something, Celestia. Not me. I smell horseflesh. It makes me hungry. I should be able to get what I need here, and then I'll be ready to pay your sweet sister a visit."

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

Luna blinked rapidly, her weak smile faltering. "Thank you, that is kind to say. But I do not believe that I have reached a level of proficiency that warrants praise. I HAVE practiced with Tia some, but only she; I have no other pony to speak to."

"Not even the servants or the nobles?"

Luna snorted dismissively. "The nobles? I only interact with them when legal or state matters require it so. They seem to value their sleep more than my company." She rolled her eyes. "Nor, frankly, are there many that I would choose to spend time with! I am sure you recall their behavior from your own time spent in Canterlot, Twilight. And the servants," Luna trailed off, eyes on the ground again, "they laugh at me behind my back and a few rooms away. I still hear them though."

Twilight gasped, her pen flicked angrily as she wrote. "They LAUGHED? I can't believe they would do something so rude! Your communication skills may be understandably lacking in some areas—not that I'm saying you aren't good at it, you HAVE been away from the world for a long time—but still! Next time I'm at the Castle I will have to make sure that is addressed!"

Luna gawked at Twilight, surprised to hear the unicorn jumping to her defense. "Oh, there is no need for that, Twilight! It only happened once, and Celestia was very firm with the staff after that. They have been flawlessly polite ever since." Luna rubbed her hoof against her pillow, enjoying the softness of it and the companionship of its creator. "It is just... they are not good teachers. They don't talk to me unless I start the conversation. There is no... small talk? Is that the right term?"

Twilight nodded.

"See? Like that! They never speak of simple things, or talk with me as an equal or correct me when I make a mistake. They are not patient, or interested or interesting, as you are."

Twilight's quill paused. "I'm interesting?"

Luna nodded slowly, unable to maintain eye contact with Twilight. "Er… yes, you are. That is why I visited your dream in the first place. I wished to know you better. I thought, that since we are as close to equals as anypony and a goddess can be then we should perhaps be friends." She sighed and focused her gaze on her hooves. _Why am I staring at my hooves so much? Look her in the eye! Are you a goddess or some whimpering filly?_

Luna forced herself to look up, taking in all of Twilight Sparkle. She looked at the unicorn as a whole, still unable to meet those deep magenta colored eyes that were so like Celestia's yet indescribably different. She likened them as pools of pure mana, accepting all they saw and calling for her to drown happily in them.

_Where in the hay did THAT come from? I thought I was supposed to worry about Sparkle making this dream go all sexy? Why is she looking at me like that? Have I been sitting here looking at her in silence this whole time?_

"Luna? Are you okay? You looked like you were going to say more and then just faded out and started looking at me all funny."

_Ah, crap! I was just staring! Say something, anything! Mouth, this is Brain calling! Start working or I will SO send you to the Sun!_

"Abulagh- Wha?" Luna shook her head violently. "I'm—I'm sorry! I did not mean to just stare! I was…was," Luna faded out, unsure of what to say.

"Lost in thought?" Twilight arched an eyebrow and then giggled. "I do that all the time too! Don't worry about it, Luna."

Luna sighed heavily and lowered her head to her hooves, brow furrowed. "Yes. 'Lost in thought' would accurately describe what just happened." She grumbled under her breath, chewing on her lower lip. "I wished to be better friends with you, Twilight, that is all. I am still indebted to you for your aid, freely given last Nightmare Night. And, as I have already said, I have no pony else to speak with."

Luna curled her legs together on her floating pillow, resting her chin on her ankles, no longer able to look at her unicorn companion. She wrapped her tail about herself, looking through its semi-transparent blue sheen at the tiny specks of light within. When she spoke again, her voice was small and thick with tears. "You must think me a very silly pony indeed."

Canterlot Castle: Main Wing, First Floor Kitchens

Batter Dip didn't know what was going on. He was just finishing up the last sink full of dishes from dinner when a distant crash noise silenced the chatter among the servant ponies like startled crickets. It sounded like a lot of wood hitting the stone floor followed by the sound of pots and pans being dropped. He thought somepony must have over turned a shelf full of cookware, but then a murmur started going through the rest of the kitchen, and he was certain he heard the Princess' name a few times. She sometimes came by to thank or congratulate them for their hard work. And she usually brought cake or pastries ordered from outside the Castle when she did. Batter Dip didn't want to miss out, knowing how ravenous the kitchen crew could be at the end of a day. The brown Earth pony turned from the huge sink and dish pile, tossing off his smock as he did so. He made it two steps before the first screams started.

Batter Dip could see his friend Meringue Slice ahead of him, standing at the door to the main kitchens, looking in the direction of the commotion. The green mare turned back and the look on her face was somewhere between confused and horrified. She looked like she was about to scream when she suddenly dropped to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been severed. He could feel his own scream start to crawl up his throat when the most peculiar feeling came over him. He could not, for the life of him, recall why he had wanted to scream. He had everything he wanted: riches, fame and fillies by the score thanks to his masterful marketing of his own Dipped Treats food line. Batter shook the odd unsettled feeling off and settled back into the comfy beach chair where he liked to lounge and catch rays. He waved to Meringue Slice as she climbed dripping wet from his pool and started toward him with hungry eyes that wanted something other than sweets.

It stalked through the kitchens slowly, a manic grin on those borrowed lips. Celestia's wings were partially spread, held low so that the primary feathers grazed the ground and caressed the bodies of her fallen servants. Her left rear leg was the one part of her body that still fought, reaching vainly for purchase on anything within reach, trying to halt the inexorable progress of her possessor. For a moment, her hoof caught the edge of a heavy table leg.

"Oh please, Celestia, stop. This is getting embarrassing." The not Celestia sighed heavily, looking down into the curved back of a silver spoon. "You can't stop me. You've lost. Have some dignity and let me at my spoils. Look around! Your precious ponies are all but dead, and I didn't even need to lift a talon. In your youth, yes, you defeated me. But now, I return as strong as ever and you are weak, defenseless! The Elements have passed on to new bearers. I've seen them. I know who they are, and separated, they are even weaker than you and your brat of a sister. I will kill them first. Well, after Luna, that is. All fall before the might of Delusion and my Dream! I can feel it spreading, reaching further and further afield, absorbing more minds. Each one empowers me and renders you and yours short on aid. After I've absorbed the Element Bearers, I will kill them. Just to be sure."

Delusion, the puppeteer, smirked, "Yes, I know all about them. I was there, inside Discord, lending that abominable amalgamation my powers. I faced them when he did, and I know their strength and weaknesses. They will be easy to remove. Only you and your sister pose any significant challenge and without your powers, you're in the bag. So, that leaves Luna as the only wild card. To think, in my absence a pony of all things became steward of my Night sky. Did you fear me so much, Celestia, that you put the Night in the hooves of your own sister? Well, it obviously didn't work, did it? And you have your own kind to thank for my return. How's that for irony?"

Delusion chuckled and looked back at the trembling leg that held tenuously to the table leg. "But I have enough gathered strength now. Enough gullible minds in my Dream to overpower the Elements and your sister, even if they do rally. And as fun as if has been, talking with you and showing you the fall of your race, I do think it's time we moved on. Goodbye, old horse. Get some well-deserved sleep, and let the Dream ease you into oblivion along with the rest of pony kind. I have one last task for this body of yours before I get down to some major reconstructive work and make it more to my liking. Poor Luna gets to see you one last time."

The trembling in Delusion's left rear leg grew violent for a moment before going suddenly still. He searched his mind, listening for a voice that wasn't his own. Celestia, his bane, was no more, banished now into the deeper Dreaming. The laugh that escaped his throat was ragged and raw, sounding more like a squawk and crow. Placing all four hooves under his obedient and very soon to be altered body, he turned and walked with purpose towards the hall that would eventually take him to the Courts.

Everfree Forest: Witchdoctor's Abode

Night-vision enchanted goggles were wonderful things. Marvels of modern magikery. They allowed a pony to see in darkness practically as well as full Daylight, even if they put a slight green tinted haze over everything. After years of lurking in the dark places that civilized ponies avoided at all cost, Fleur reflected it was the way she preferred to see the world. The dark was a welcoming embrace, the tight confines she often found herself in comfortable and safe. Lurking in unseen places was her element, theft was her art. Growing up in the poorer parts of southern Prance had taught her the fine arts of discretion and subterfuge as well as running and hiding when the authorities came to round up the troublemakers. Fleur told everypony she was an orphan because it fit well with her childhood tales, but the truth was her mother was still very much alive and well. Her daughter's less than legal exploits kept the old mare more than comfortable.

Behind the goggles and mask, Fleur suppressed a sigh. These rustic cabins and huts that dotted the Equestian countryside always reminded her of home and her mother. That's why she preferred the city life in Canterlot. Old memories only held her back. And this was the last place she needed to wax poetically about any supposed 'good old times.' She needed to be sharp, focused, and wound like a spring. This was no ordinary rustic hut in the middle of a forbidden forest. This was a witchdoctor's hut in the middle of a forbidden forest.

Fleur lay on her belly, weight balanced on her hooves extended out in front and behind her on a ceiling strut with twisted vine ropes strapped to it that supported earthen jars above an empty cauldron. She had entered the hut through the natural, twisted chimney that carved through the roof and up into the higher boughs of the tree that formed the main body of the building. Size manipulation was one of the spells she found a great deal of use for. It let her into all sorts of places. While she was no powerhouse like Fancypants, she was arguably master level at precision spellcraft that focused on physical alterations such as size, speed, and flexibility. Of course, her natural abilities in those areas were top-notch, honed to perfection by years of practice and training. It had the side effect of giving her a tall, sleek form that was the envy of all the fat, soft, noble mares in Canterlot and the desire of their husbands. Her beauty opened almost as many doors are her deft hooves- almost.

Below her prostrated form, the pitch black interior of the hut was illuminated to a pale green form of Day time by her goggles. There was only three rooms. The large main, mostly circular chamber with a fire pit in the center had two smaller rooms that branched off to the south and west sides. One was a bathroom and the other a small nook that held a bed and a few personal items. That was where Fleur could see the witchdoctor resting. It turned out to be a mare, as she thought from the photo. She could make out five golden neckrings on the zebra from her perch as well as five more golden rings on the witchdoctor's right foreleg. The rings where like a unicorn's horn for the zebras. They were charged with elemental energies and could twist magic in ways no mortal pony should be able. As far as Fleur knew, only a few zebras had been encountered with the golden rings outside their own nation, and they each only possessed one or two. This one had ten of the things and was a potion making witchdoctor to boot.

The witchdoctor was stretched out on her side, facing the wall away from Fleur's position with a light sheet pulled over her flanks. Her breathing was steady and paced. She couldn't see the zebra's eye twitches, but she certainly sounded fast asleep. A quick scan of the interior when she first entered found the jar she was looking for on the shelf directly above the bed. Fleur cursed her luck for the hundredth time and started to move. She hooked one hoof around the edge of the beam she was perched on and swung down in a graceful arc. She didn't even need her magic for this part. Her long legs and fully extended torso brought her hooves within inches of the floor before she let go, rolling with the motion and landing quiet as a cat. Keeping her momentum was the secret to stealth. Silent hooves glided on hardwood, long strides crossed the floor and brought Fleur close enough to use her magic.

Telekinesis without the telltale aura was a trick she had picked up as a foal. It proved very useful for filching without being seen or heard. But it came with severe range limitations. Normally, Fleur could lift any object she had the physical strength to move, using her magic at a range roughly ten times that of her natural reach. Diverting the energy to suppress the glow of her aura cut that down to only twice her natural reach, so getting close was the key. She reached the end of the bed and extended her hoof over the reclined form of the zebra, using it as a guide to zero her sights on the straw wrapped jar with the odd glass stopper. She hoped that the sudden movement wouldn't disturb whatever was in it, but the risk was worth it to make this as quick as she could. The jar sailed towards her, covering the short distance to her hoof in a blur.

Keeping the momentum, Fleur pocketed the potion into a waiting saddle bag even as she arched back and executed a graceful backward cartwheel. The breeze generated by her motion was the only indicator of her passing. She turned, corkscrewing her spine to spring back up to her perch. She always preferred leaving the same as she entered if it could be helped. For some reason, it always seemed more professional to her. The beam was well within reach using her current speed and a little coordination. Once she had her hooves on it, a little pull up and a silent shrinking spell and she was home free.

Luck, however, is a fickle mistress. For a moment it all seemed to be going so well. Then the world went green-white as light flooded the enchanted goggles, blinding the cat-burglar. Her trust in her own ability and training combined with simple physics put Fleur where she had been aiming. She swung on the beam, one hoof hooked on its edge and pulled up her rear legs. Her unnoticed escape was certainly ruined and she wasn't about to leave her flank unguarded. Thankfully, somepony had the sense to put a giant iron cauldron in the center of the room and provide her with cover. Letting go of the overhead beam threw Fleur over it and she landed in a crouch, yanking the goggles off and blinking rapidly in the golden light that came from the other of her makeshift barrier.

"_Acheni! Mwizi! Nami hakusita kutumia nguvu!_"

Fleur didn't speak Swayhili, but the intent was clear enough. She could hear a sleepy edge to the zebra's voice too. If she made this quick, she might be able to escape before the witchdoctor woke up fully. Pressed to the side of the cauldron, she took a quick peek back toward the bed. "_Vous n'étiez pas à se réveiller! Quand je sortirai d'ici, je vais le tuer. Ceci a été censé être facile ..._"

"_Fancy lugha? Ni nini kinachoendelea hapa?_" The zebra sounded confused now. The forth ring on her hoof was putting out what looked like stored Sunlight. Fleur knew she'd need to neutralize that if she wanted the advantage back. But doing so would be difficult at best and engaging the zebra head on would likely end bad for her. It would be best to make a run for it and get lost in the woods.

The witchdoctor switched to Equestian Common. As she spoke, another of her rings began to glow a deep red, throwing the interior of the hut into a sinister shade.

"Rogue! Trespasser! Vile imbecile!

Your actions raise my bile!

You think you can hide?

This transgression I will not abide.

Give up and return the vial!"

She switched back to Swayhili and snarled out something that sounded like it should be unpronounceable by pony vocal cords. The wooden masks that hung on the walls animated suddenly and opened their mouths like sharks, displaying row after row of sharp painted incisors. But the teeth weren't Fleur's first concern. Each mask vomited forth a tangle of vines as thick as a stallion's waist, sporting long thorns and even bladed leaves. They surged and flowed out along the walls and floor and ceiling, coating every surface as they crawled along in search of their prey.

Canterlot Castle: Service Hallway Three, First Floor

Delusion walked slowly, enjoying the thrill of being the only voice in his head, the only mind in control of that body. Too long had he been a part of the mad god, Discord. None of the Old Ones asked for that fate, but they had made due. They plunged the world into Chaos until Celestia arrived with her sister and the Elements of Harmony to rein them in again. She hadn't needed those when she had taken them on individually. Her power was immense.

_And it is likely, that over time, Luna has grown into her godhead too. I must be careful about this. I only get one shot if I don't want to take on a goddess and the Elements together. I feel strong, but why take chances?_

He stopped at an intersection, listening to the Castle around him. There were a couple of guard ponies here, already snoring, and absorbed into the Dream before he had even gotten close. It radiated out around him, ever reaching new distance with each mind devoured into his personal playland of lies and deceit. He could feel new minds enter it as the Dream reached to cover about two thirds of the Castle. Math and figures weren't his strong point, but it seemed to him that by the time the dawn came it would reach out beyond the mountain where the city perched.

"If dawn even comes," Delusion chuckled, "I suppose I'll see what happens when… whatever happens, happens." He smirked again, as more pony minds were added to the Dream. As they experienced the Dreaming, and in doing so, believed the lies he wove for each of them, his power swelled. It was heady after so long without. His ability with lies and falsehoods and gaining power from them had been usurped from his control by Discord. Even though he had been a building block of that super entity, Delusion couldn't help but think of him as separate from himself.

In times now shrouded in myth and mists, he had been his own bird, Master of the Sky and dark Night, terror to all lesser creatures. Where his form blotted out the stars, ruin had followed like an obedient hound. He was a god in those times. One of many among the Old Ones, but feared and revered by all. Then Celestia came, and the rise of the ponies started. She brought light and cut the darkness like a scythe. One by one, the Old Ones had fallen, until only he remained.

Delusion had been nesting when she came to face him. A mountain peak so high it looked down on the clouds, the air thin and almost non-existent. He had called it home for centuries. The very stone there was permanently stained red from his meals. She came, of course, at the worst time. The Sun burned high in the heavens and he was full from a meal of ponies. Their flesh was almost intoxicating after being run down to exhaustion. Their fear was a great spice, but the false hope he gave them by pretending to let them escape was even greater.

Celestia surprised him, gorged and tired, with a blinding flare of light, and then blasted him with the heat of every Summer Day at once. He had reeled, shielding his eyes with a wing as talons gripped at the mountain for purchase. Even before he found it, his other wing snapped out, colliding with Celestia like a meteor and throwing the tiny mare into the stones below where she cratered rather nicely.

_And that is where I failed._ Delsuion shook his head sadly as his started walking again. _I gloated. I yammered on like a fool while she used the dust cover from her crash to whip up another Sunbeam. Sliced my claw clean off and sent me falling. And like a twice damned fool I go down cursing, broadcasting my position and too incensed to take to the air and get some distance. I brought it all on myself. I see that now. But this time is going to be different._

Delusion stopped and listened again. "Still no response from the sister. Can she be so blind as to have missed me? Or am I walking into a trap?" It thought for a few moments before shrugging. "Doesn't matter, I suppose. She will respond soon enough. But if my surprise holds out, then she'll think, at least for a moment, that I am just her dear sister Celestia. And in that moment, I will ram one of these stupid hooves right through her little head! Take out her horn, strip her power, then eat her. That should give me back everything I've lost and then some!"

Licking his lips, Delusion chuckled as he started walking again. The servant's entrance to the Throne Room lay just ahead and the outer guard ponies were already asleep.

Everfree Forest: Witchdoctor's Abode

_Those look… sharp._ Fleur eyed the thorns on the writhing vines that were still impossibly issuing forth from the mouths of the tribal masks on the hut's walls. They already covered the few windows and the one doorway out to the forest beyond. Her entrance through the natural chimney was still clear, but getting up to it and changing size to fit would leave her dangerously open. If the vines didn't grab her, then the witchdoctor would have some other trick and a clear line of sight. Pain, in and of itself, wasn't a big deterrent but being captured on top of everything was out of the question. She was only going to get out of this if she acted and did it fast.

She knew a few combat spells but nothing that would be effective versus the vines. She was also fluent in hoof-to-hoof fighting. If she wanted out of this hut, she was going to have go through the zebra on the other side of the room. She only hoped that taking out the source would shut off the freaky spell-work generating the grasping plants. Pressed up against the cauldron as she was, she could feel its weight, even empty. Normally, she would have difficulty moving or tipping it. But a quick boost spell should give her the strength to get it moving. With it as a shield, she should be able to reach the zebra and clock her good or outright dump the thing on her head. Then Fleur would have the clearance she'd need to make for the chimney. She ran the scenario through her head, one eye on the vines, another on the shadows cast by the weird red light coming from the witchdoctor. Judging by the angle, she was still standing at the foot of her cot, just by the opening to her small sleeping area.

"That potion doesn't belong to you.

You know not what it can do!

Cockatrice scale, blind Medusa tears, Basilisk hair.

Ironroot and pegasi Stare!

That is no common brew!"

One of the vines whipped across the floor and a long thorn sliced a curled shaving from the wood floor like a knife would cut the skin from an apple. It swung wide of her position, but that was too close for Fleur. Eyes going wide with effort, Fleur cast her spell. It was a simple enlargement enchantment, increasing her size and relative strength by three fold. It is stressful on the body, forcing bones to lengthen and muscles to bunch at once. Thankfully, it lasted only a moment and adjusted her clothing along with her. With her shoulder planted firmly into the curved iron wall of the cauldron, Fleur pushed with her rear hooves into a standing position while thrusting her forelegs to propel the huge cooking pot toward her target. It still felt like a ton of metal, magically enhanced strength or not, but it moved more or less like she wanted it to.

As the iron pot cleared the fire pit, Fleur caught a glance of the witchdoctor. The mare had grabbed a bottle from the shelf at some point and held it up in one hoof, frozen in mid-throw as the sudden launch of the cauldron surprised her. It wasn't very big and made of a dark glass, making it hard to tell how full it might be. She didn't want it near her. Gods knew what it might contain. Time dilated in Fleur's perception, putting everything into slow motion. It happened when a pony fought for their lives, and it always felt like she had time to note all kinds of tiny details. The zebra had a short mane that was a disheveled mess at the moment, fresh from bed. Her coat was clean though. It glistened under the light coming from the third neckring down under her strong, pointed snout. She obviously maintained it well for a pony living in the middle of a forsaken forest. Her eyes sparkled a simply gorgeous shade of gold in the magical Sunlight too.

Those kinds of frozen moments seem to last an eternity, when really only a blink of the eye has passed. For bright second, Fleur thought she may have succeeded in throwing the cauldron and nailing the zebra. Then reality reasserted itself and the luck she often cursed laughed mockingly in her mind. The thick, grasping vines that were filling the room moved with enough speed to blur and leave after images as they flew to their summoner's defense. The metal pot rang like a clock tower bell striking the hour as they caught it, tangled in a green thorny web, and halted its forward momentum. The other mare didn't miss her opportunity either, rolling to the side and tossing the jar she held lazily in Fleur's direction. It sailed to the floor a few feet from the unicorn, shattering and releasing a thick cloud of blue vapor.

The air rushed out of Fleur's lungs as her size alteration spell extinguished itself and her body snapped back to its normal proportions. The change in mass and her awkward throw a moment before conspired to make the unicorn sprawl as she hit the ground with all the grace of a turnip crate. The mist coming up from the broken jar spread over her back legs; wherever it touched her, she felt intense cold. Fleur could hear the ice forming on her as thick plates it rubbed together and weighed her down. She tried pulling with her fore hooves, but that only moved her a few inches before she was fully locked in place.

"_Hmmph! Voilà pour le combat martial! Le temps de finir. Au revoir!_" Fleur growled and lifted her right hoof, pointing it, and sighting down it towards the zebra. She twisted her wrist back and forth and her suit deformed as a small bulge shifted and a needle sharp barb of her own extended from a hidden slit in the leather suit's foreleg. It was loaded into a spring rig that could be used in close combat or as a ranged device if she was desperate enough. It was crafted by a donkey blacksmith in Prance, so she knew just how much it kicked.

The blade was the same color of her coat with a pearlescent sheen. It was made from the tip of her own horn. She had broken it once as a foal during one of her early adventures in breaking and entering and kept the piece. She'd hit a table, running in the dark home of a pastry monger. The merchant was out of town, selling his wares, giving Fleur the opportunity to relieve him of some gains of his ventures. She could recall wondering why any sane pony would keep a grown alligator as a guard animal as it careened after her in a mad scramble on the kitchen's tile floor. It cornered her there, shivering under the huge oak pastry rolling table, clutching the shard of her broken horn as she tried to blink blood out of her eyes.

She couldn't remember the moment it actually happened. But she could remember the long gaze she got down the gator's throat as it closed in and the odor, like an open sewer, that issued from it. She could recall the sound of those teeth coming together; throwing her hooves out in fear and the sudden spray of hot fresh blood on her face. The pain she expected never came though. When she found the strength to open her eyes, the guard gator lay dead before her. The broken piece of her horn was slicking out from the ruin of its upper jaw. She must have thrown it in fear, and the beast's powerful bite did the rest. It was the first time Fleur killed. It was the last time she did that by accident. When she pulled out her horn blade, blood flowed.

The Zebrican witchdoctor regained her hooves from her wild roll, snarling something nasty sounding in her native tongue. Her eyes snapped up when she noticed the deadly blade at the end of Fleur's leg. She opened her mouth again, but never got the chance to say any more as at that exact moment the hut's single door exploded inwards, showering both mares in wood chips and splinters. A monstrosity of leaves and tree bark in pony shape filled the door's former sovereign space and it took Fleur a moment to see the familiar lines of Fancypants instead of a random plant creature. His active camouflage spell was going haywire trying to blend with its surroundings. Moving quickly caused it to lag and display colors of the terrain already passed. Fancypants rushed across the room as the two mares stared, frozen with the shock of his sudden entrance. A powerful hoof smashed the ice holding Fleur down, and before she could even form a response, the tall stallion was yanking her to her hooves and shoving her towards the forest.

"The Everfree aids no pony!

Your monster is a phony!

Run; you won't get far, no matter what you do!

Either the Forest or I will get you!

This affords you time only!"

Before the rhyme was complete they were outside in the dark again, trees flying by as Fancypants crashed through the underbrush without even the slightest attempt to cover their trail. Favoring speed over stealth, the unicorn led them away from the hut and the original clearing they had arrived in. They didn't get far before the light from the witchdoctor ring started to bounce along behind them, making the shadows jump in front of the two.

Fancypants let the active camouflage spell drop as they ran and looked over his shoulder at Fleur as they crested a small rise. "Hang close. We're leaving, and I'm not entirely sure of the footing where we're going." His voice was remarkably quiet and calm given the situation.

Fleur braced herself and pressed her form along Fanypants' side and slid her goggles back on. She could hear the zebra getting closer and she was on their heels already. Then, quicker than a Pegasus flaps its wings, they were elsewhere. She was glad for Fancypants' warning immediately. They appeared on a natural stone ledge that was bathed in gentle Moonlight and only just wide enough for the two of them to huddle together. On one side was a grey-white cliff face that reached up toward the heavens. The other side was open to the Night air, offering a majestic view of a huge and inky black forest. On the far side of that sea of trees, Fleur could make out a single bright speck of light coming from under the canopy.

"We aren't sticking around. Stay close. I intend to lose her and any tracking spells she might have. Do you still have the potion?"

"Of course I still have it, you buffoon! After this, I'm not going to go along with your plans anymore! That was reckless and stupid! This had better be worth it, or so have me, I WILL castrate you!"

"It is worth it." Fancypants shrugged as if the answer could be anything else, "Next stop, please pull out potion and the claw you retrieved from the gardens. I want to do this before we return to the estate."

Fleur growled and narrowed her eyes behind the goggles, her magic reaching into her pocket for the potion and into her own personal extra-dimensional storage space. The tiny piece of stone there was chipped from the very statue of the imprisoned god, Discord. The royal guards were thankfully too fearful of the statue to have noticed the small piece she had snapped off before they apprehended her.

_Now I shall finally find out what this is all about. I don't care if you are in the Inner Circle, you pompous twit. If this actually does what I think it does, then those Princesses of yours will be the least of your concerns._ Fleur eyed her two recent acquisitions as they floated before her, looking as normal as possible. _If the Chaos can be harnessed, then it shall be I that wields it._

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

There was the most delicate sound of hooves as they lightly touched the tile floor. Luna looked up and lost vision as her face was buried in Twilight's mane. The smell of parchment dust and old leather, lavender scented shampoo, magic and dragon scales filled her nose almost as much as the sudden rush of emotions filled her chest to bursting. Forehooves around her neck held her tight and more warmth than the body of a single unicorn should have any right to produce kept her afloat. It was so unlike the hugs she received from her sister. Those were sisterly and occasionally motherly hugs. This was different.

"Wha-?! T-twilight?"

Twilight's embrace tightened as the unicorn murmured somewhere near Luna's ear. "'Sometimes, all a sad pony needs to feel better is a heartfelt hug from a friend.' I learned that from my friend Pinkie Pie. She can make anypony smile and feel better."

Twilight pulled back, so Luna could see her face up close. She still had that warm, small smile that somehow put the Night Princess at ease. _I should revise my thought about Twilight's eyes. Pure mana wishes it was so beautiful. Where is my mind tonight? Why do I feel like this? Why should some pony affect me so? Is this what having a friend really feels like?_

"We… are friends?" Luna blinked as her mind finally managed to process what Twilight had told her.

Twilight nodded. "We are friends, Luna. I have thought about being your friend since your return, and last Nightmare Night we made the first steps toward that. I've found in my studies that friendship can happen surprisingly quick. It can be triggered by small, inconsequential things. But once friendship finds you, it changes you. It puts a pony other than yourself into your heart and makes them important to you. You suddenly care about their thoughts and feelings and health, just like you care about yourself. I care about you, Luna. I don't want you to be sad. And I don't think you are a silly pony."

Twilight released Luna from her hug, staying near for a moment before bopping her on the end of her snout with a soft hoof. Twilight stuck out her tongue playfully and hopped back onto her floating cushion. "I don't care if you are using a magic that Celestia advised against. You aren't hurting anypony. And I would love the opportunity to help you in any and all areas where you believe you have not acclimated. It's the chance of a lifetime for me! And I love teaching almost as much as reading!" Luna continued to stare mutely at Twilight as the unicorn clapped her forehooves together and squealed like a filly.

Luna opened her mouth, a question fresh on her lips as Twilight pulled her scroll and quill closer to herself, when something brushed against her meta-presence. It was at once the oddest sensation Luna could recall every experiencing in its sheer alien-ness, and yet familiar. She didn't know how anything could reach her mind here. It had all of her attention, and she cursed her luck.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but could you… hold that thought? Is that the right phrasing? I think somepony is trying to get my attention in the waking world."

"Oh, okay. I can wait here, I guess. I'm honestly unsure of how the dream magic will keep all this going. But I'm sure you can do something about it." Twilight shrugged. "And yes! That was the correct terminology!"

Luna spared her an apologetic smile and, carefully as she could, disentangled herself from the dream and hurled her mind back to her physical form in the Throne Room. Even as she did so, Luna kept hold of Twilight's mind with her dream tendril, hoping the interruption was a quick one.

Twilight blinked as Luna exited the dream, leaving behind the copy of her body that she had inhabited. It looked just as it did a moment ago, with a small smile frozen on its lips, yet somehow it seemed completely different. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it felt like the Luna resting next to her was a hyper-realistic doll or statue.

"Okay, that's just weird." Twilight reflected that it was almost like Discord's statue in the Royal Gardens, except that the body was flesh (so to speak), and seemed like stone instead of being stone and seeming alive. She wondered, off hoof, how long it would take Luna to return. Twilight turned her attention back to her notes scrawled across the blackboard.

"At least I can work some more on these until she returns."

"Why wait for her, when I'm right here, my little librarian?"

Twilight snapped her gaze back to the pony across from her. The voice was undeniably Luna's, but deeper and smokier than she had ever heard before. Whatever it was that now reclined with hooves crossed on the pillow, looked like a cross between the two Princesses. She had Luna's colors, the same bright aqua eyes and star field mane and tail, but she was the size of Celestia with the same regal build and a large dark crown instead of Luna's usual obsidian tiara. She smiled playfully and licked her lips in a way that made something inside Twilight tighten pleasurably.

"Oh come on! I already had a distracting dream tonight—isn't one enough?!" Twilight frowned at the caricature in front of her. "The real Luna is a far better conversationalist than you anyway. Go back to… whatever part of my subconscious you crawled out of and tell my libido to knock it off. This is getting annoying."

The 'adult' version of Luna shook her head slowly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. No, not doing that. I need you…want you…need both of you. It will be good. Don't fight it, Twilight. Feel the connection for what it is. We belong together, bonded like no other. The hour is late and fate waits for nopony."

This version of Luna reached out and snagged Twilight's pillow, yanking them together. The sudden move threw Twilight against Luna's chest and toppled her onto her back so that the larger alicorn loomed over her. Looking up, Twilight had an uncomfortable flash of memory; Nightmare Moon standing over all of the gathered ponies of Ponyville just after capturing Princess Celestia. The only missing details were the Nightmare's serpentine eyes and her cobalt armor. Her expression this time was somewhere between amused and lustful, rather than amused and cruel.

"Wha-what are y-you going to do?"

"Become whole." Luna leaned down slowly, the tip of her long horn brushing Twilight's own, sending shivers down the unicorn's spine to pool low in her body where the hungry tightness was getting worse. "Give her all of yourself. It is the only way to save ourselves. Be her resolve. Be her guide when the stars abandon her. Be her truth."

Luna rubbed their horns together again, causing a few sparks to fly off. She looked into Twilight's eyes for a sweet, silent moment; then their lips met. Twilight gasped as she realized what was happening. She tried to hold her lips firm, ready to defend her chastity from this mockery, but she melted like early morning frost before the Dawn. She couldn't form a clear thought as her tongue started to duel with the one invading her mouth.

_I don't… want this. I… want this. No! Luna… I want Luna! Luna, help!_

Canterlot Castle: Throne Room

Luna snapped back into her own body and blinked, mouth opening to issue a demand for explanation of her disturbance. For a second, time hung heavy and stretched long. She could see ponies on the floor, slumped at desks or just toppled where they had stood. Even her Nightguard lay at the foot of the Throne, armor and weapons inactive. That sight alone would have chilled her blood. But in a true sense of overachievement, her bad luck painted one of the princess' greatest nightmares on top of it.

Celestia, her sister and confidant, guide and handler, reared above her with one hoof planted on the back of the Throne, next to her head. The other hoof was rushing at her face while Celestia grinned like a fiend, eyes narrowed to bright pinpricks and foam dripped from her lips. Everything about her was wrong; Luna could feel it deep down where her goddess powers rested in her soul. She had no time to think about it.

Faster than any mortal pony would be capable, faster than the blink of an eye it would be compared too later, Luna flexed her might and turned the world inside out. Reality righted itself at light speed, and she flared her wings as she reappeared above and behind her sister. The hoof that Celestia had sent her way collided with the Throne, impaling it, and ripped the cushioned stone seat from its mooring. In times remembered by the princesses alone, it started as a spar of granite connected to the mountain before the Castle was built up around it. Luna gathered her power to bring up a shield. Whatever madness had taken her sister, she would not make the same mistake of attacking her as she had a thousand years ago.

Celestia didn't turn her head, but her eye flicked to glare at Luna. She had just enough time to register the hatred there before her sister turned and threw the Throne that was still impaled on her hoof at her. It was a blur of movement that caught Luna by surprise with both its speed and strength. A ton of stone hit her full on at escape velocity speed and physics took over. The resulting impact with the wall and ceiling bled off enough of that force to keep Luna from being rocketed into orbit. Instead she came to a cobblestone powdering stop a few hundred feet away with most of the Throne and parts of the Castle on top of her.

_What in all Creation is going on?! What the hay has possessed Tia? I can't be THAT bad at running Night Court, can I?!_ Luna croaked, struggling for air in the courtyard's newest crater. _I have to get this off me and stop her before_—Luna didn't get to finish the thought as something slammed into the rubble above her, driving her another hoofspan into the earth.

One eye fluttered open and between the crumbling pieces of wall, she could see Celestia soar up and away. She climbed above the Castle into the Night sky, hovering before Luna's moon for a moment. Celestia pointed her hooves down at Luna and with a single flap of powerful wings, split the Night with a sonic rainboom.

_Screw the shield—RUN!_ The world turned on its ear and Luna fled that space an instant before her sister hit. She rejoined reality in the Gardens, shutting down her godhead, least Celestia track it. She dived under a hedge, gasping for breath. She needed to collect herself.

"By Tartarus! This could not get any worse!" Luna swallowed hard and quickly checked on Discord's prison, regretting her choice of words. She slowly let out a breath as she sensed it to be just where they had left it, inert as ever.

_HELP! LUNA!_

Luna's head snapped up, looking around for whoever called out to her. No pony was present that she could detect. After a moment the call repeated itself as a distant explosion sounded back in the courtyard. "Twilight? But where—how? I don't see…" She gaped as it came again, in her mind. Her tendril, still connected to Twilight Sparkle's dreaming mind in Ponyville. Her heart calmed somewhat, realizing that her friend wasn't physically at the Castle and in danger. The psychic scream came again, louder this time, as another explosion came from the Courtyard and fresh rubble rained down on the Garden. Something was wrong in both the waking and dreaming worlds.

"Curse my luck!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Canterlot Castle: The Gardens

Luna closed her eyes and silently counted to ten, willing her heart to slow and breathing to calm. Suddenly a chunk of granite the size of her head landed a few feet from her with a dull thud which sent the garden's loamy soil and grass flying. It took her entire being to keep from bolting into the night then and there.

_Stay calm! If you lose your head, you lose everything! Stay quiet, stay down, analyze, and counter!_ Luna drew a shuddering breath through her nose and let it hiss out between her teeth. _I can do this. I can keep it together and figure it out. Just remember back to the war with Discord and use those skills._

Thinking about the mad god forced Luna's eyes open. She could see his prison in her Moon's light from her position under the hedgerow. Discord remained as passive and immobile as ever, locked in stone once more by the Elements of Harmony. The Chaos Lord terrified her, but she had faced him before, and if he was somehow behind Tia's madness, she would personally send him on a one way trip into deep space. The statue regarded the gardens with its startled, disappointed expression and offered her no solace as another large hunk of stone sailed into the hedge several yards from Luna. It smashed a hole through the hedge and came to a stop half buried in the soft ground.

_I need to see what's going on._ Luna cast her eyes skyward, looking at her Moon. The orbiting body beamed at her like a happy child, appearing bigger and brighter.

It was not the actual source of her power, but she and the Moon were bound in ways far more intimate than even Celestia and her Sun. She could see anything that its silver light fell on as if she were standing there in the flesh. Luna reached inside herself to that goddess power, tapping it to grant herself sight beyond sight. She placed her point of reference about a dozen swift wing beats above the palace and the garden maze. She could see from there most of the Castle lay untouched by the recent violence. There was a huge hole in the wall that opened into the Throne room and a trail of rubble that led from there, across the courtyard and into the private gardens. Luna noticed her sister's form blur from the corner of her mind's eye, the ground where Celestia previously stood now empty. Another section of the castle wall bigger than several apple carts hurtled through the air. Luna barely had time to register it was headed for her physical body before cancelling the spell and tumbling blindly away. The stone hit where she had been sitting and exploded in a shockwave of dirt and debris. Luna blinked at the destruction, eyes wide and gasping for breath. She brushed some dirt from her coat and shakily rose to her hooves.

"Ok… no more goddess powers. Tia—she's tracking me with it! I have to lay low, keep hidden. I can't take her head on… need a plan." Luna gulped more air and started to unsteadily gallop deeper into the maze. She kept to the shadows, trusting in her natural coloring to camouflage her location. As she ran, more stone rained down into the maze, tearing holes through the manicured hedgerows and gouging deep trenches in the soft soil. After a little distance, Luna slowed to a trot and then a quick walk, least the sound of her hoof-falls give her away.

_She's starting to move off target… I don't think she can sense me now. I need to keep low and move or I'll eventually just get hit out of dumb luck. Luna wiped her hoof across her brow and slinked over the grass as fast as she could while crouched. I have to gain more distance and figure out what is going on here. My sister—MY SISTER—is hurling boulders at me from the courtyard after trying to buck my head in while I wasn't looking and then hurling ME through a wall. She hasn't said a word and was grinning like a maniac the whole time. Everypony in the Throne room was down, even my guards. They might be dead or wounded… but I think they are alive. The guards' weapons weren't activated. I don't remember seeing any blood, so there probably wasn't a struggle, at least I hope so. They must have all went down at once._

Luna reached the next hedgerow and used the cover to quickly dive behind a retaining wall. She dropped down over the ledge created by the wall to a lower tier of the garden grounds, holding her breath while her hooves hit the ground. She didn't hear anything from the courtyard area that sounded like her sister had noticed her new location, only her own heartbeat in the deep shadow cast by the wall. The night princess looked around for a secure place to hide and noticed the gardener's shed. It was basically a large wooden closet built directly into the side of the hedge maze. It wouldn't stop Celestia any more than a parasprite could deter an Ursa Major, but it should keep her hidden long enough to help Twilight.

_Hopefully she won't just blast the whole area._ She shuddered at the thought of her sister setting their home ablaze. _I just hope I can help Twilight. She can rally the Elements in Ponyville, and together we can stop… whatever is going on, I pray_.

Luna gathered herself, licking her lips before sprinting for the shed. Opening the door would bring her into the light for a moment. If Celestia saw it, Luna would have to run or fight, and so far neither option was looking good. She dared a quick glance behind herself and saw her sister was now hovering several hundred hoof spans above the maze. Celestia was looking the other way at the moment, and she took the opportunity to move. Luna pushed open the door with her wing, skidding to a halt just inside. She eased the door closed as quickly as she could manage without slamming it and only released her breath once it was shut.

The inside shed's inside smelled of dirt and mold, rusty tools, and grass clippings. Sheers and small hoofsaws hung from pegs lining the walls and overhead shelves. Bags of plant food, potting soil, and watering cans occupied the majority of floor space. Luna found a seat on what she sincerely hoped was a bag of potting soil and not fertilizer. She focused her breathing as the distress cry from Twilight echoed across her mind again. The princess closed her eyes and reached out to the dream, silently asking whatever may watch over her to keep Celestia busy.

"Please, don't let her notice this," Luna whispered to herself as she focused her attention inward toward the connection with Twilight's dream.

The darkness of the shed faded away, replaced with an infinite void full of potential. Luna visualized the dream forming in front of her, a swirling sphere of color that was dominated by a very familiar shade of purple. As the connection was strengthened, the dream grew in size as though she were descending toward it. It gave her the odd sensation of déjà vu again as it reminded her of the view from her Moon, looking down on the world. She was just beginning to hear muffled, distorted sounds from the dream when Luna was struck by that same feeling she felt just before Celestia's attack. It was almost like the feeling of being watched or at least the feeling that she wasn't alone in the void between the waking world and dreams. Luna wasn't sure what she was doing exactly or how she might be doing it, but somehow she looked over her metaphysical shoulder.

The void was less empty than usual.** Much** less empty.

Dreams — thousands of them each a swirling sphere of color — were clumped together tightly in a mound the size of a mountain. Each one's colors flowed into the next, creating twisting eddies and whirlpool-like formations of dream realities. As she watched, more spheres sprang into existence and fused with the pile increasing its size. On the top of the mound perched a being of terrific proportions. Luna couldn't make out the details, as it appeared even darker and blacker than the surrounding void. She could only just make out its glowing eyes and hawk-like outline against the bright dreams. It had wings that could easily spread wider than the Castle grounds, its talons were thicker than jousting lances, and its beak looked like it could swallow a dragon whole. But the worst part was its eyes. The orbs glowed with an unhealthy yellow color and burned with the mad fire of dying stars. They were looking for something, moving with a quick jerk then pausing to scan an area. Luna knew it was looking for her. She didn't know how she knew it, but she trusted her gut feeling that if it found her she would be done for. The baleful eye she could see was turning her way with a dream-like slowness. It would see her and end her.

Luna turned back to Twilight's dream, reaching to dive in when a great pillared stone wall suddenly burst into being around her and a ceiling of pure moonstone blocked sight of the monster. Twilight's dream sphere still floated in front of her, but it was small, distant once more. The 'room' she now found herself in was large enough that the light from that small sphere of dreamstuff drowned in dark shadow. A clanking of chains and a gurgling hiss rose from the new darkness.

"What in Tartarus is going on here?!" Luna lowered her head, horn at ready to zap or gore whatever manifested. I'm really pressed for time! Luna clenched her teeth, thinking quickly. This would be incredibly interesting to study, if it were not for being beset with monsters at every turn!

"Time is a mutable thing, youngling, especially here. You are not so pressed as you imagine." The voice came from everywhere at once. "Be calm. I am here to aid you."

Luna's eyes strained at the darkness, but she held her position. She cursed under her breath, trying to will the darkness away. She wasn't used to being blind in the dark and the voice sounded like somepony she half remembered. It was someone important, but she could not put her hoof on it. "If by aid, you mean blocking the sight of… whatever that was, then you have my thanks. I normally would love to stay and chat on matters, but a friend needs me now."

"Normally," the voice became less diffuse and Luna's ears could hear it gathering to a single point just off to her left outside her sight, "You would not wish to speak with me at all, youngling. Last we had communion, you cast me in here with intent to ne'er again release me."

Luna whipped up her head, mouth dropping open. "Wait! No… it cannot be! You are no more!" She looked into the black abyss of the shadows, hearing the sound of chains dragging over stone, though the 'floor' was just more of the nothingness that permeated the void between minds.

Into the wane light cast by Twilight's dream, stepped Luna's emaciated mirror image, bound by chains instead of wearing the royal vestments, with glowing eyes slit like a serpent's and a mane that was limp and stringy. "That was your wish, yes. But I am not so easily to be rid of, Mistress. The Titan of the Sun tied us together tightly so that you could soar as high and as long as she."

The Nightmare smiled playfully, showing off fangs any carnivore would be proud of. "When you reach for your 'goddess powers,' it is I who answers and takes your hoof. I am the one that makes your desires reality. If you want me shackled and put away, then so be it, Mistress. I cannot refuse you, even if I think your choices are poorly made. Thankfully, our interests intersect tonight. You wish to save the Sun's Titan from her own hubris, and I wish to remain free from my previous Master."

Luna blinked at the sight of everything within herself that she hated. She closed her gaping mouth with a snap, her mind struggling with what the Nightmare was saying to her. This makes no sense! What the hay is she — it — talking about?! Titan of the Sun? Tia 'bound' her to me?

Luna shook her head forcibly and frowned at the image. "Look, I don't care about whatever you are trying to mysteriously impart to me. Twilight — my friend — needs me. And I need her to save my sister! So get the buck out of my way! We can talk about this later!"

"As you command, Mistress." The Nightmare bowed to Luna, her chains clanking against the invisible floor. As she did, Twilight's dream swelled and Luna could feel her connection strengthen. "And we will speak again. Sooner than you might foresee."

Luna didn't respond, leaping forward into the dreamscape before her. It expanded exponentially, colors and sounds swirling around her in a chaotic torrent as the reality of this particular dream crystalized around her. The Royal Observatory was as she left it. Her Moon hung overhead, the gas lanterns on the tables still provided a soft, warm light, and the black board and Twilight's notes were just as before. Only difference that was immediately noticeable was Twilight herself. The unicorn was laid out on her back, on the floating pillow below Luna with her mane tossed about, eyes half-lidded, and breathing heavily, almost panting.

"W-why-y… why did y-you stop? I… I'm so close."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Close to what? Are you ok, Twilight? I came back as soon as I could. Something has happened at the castle, and I need your help! My sister —" Luna paused, smacking her lips together. "Why does my mouth taste funny?"

Canterlot Castle: The Courtyard

Delusion scowled as he stood frozen and static in the rubble-strewn courtyard. Only his eyes moved, quickly flicking about but never focusing on anything for more than a moment. His borrowed hooves rested on a hunk of stone and wood half his current body's size, ready to hurl it should the cowardly princess broadcast her location again.

_That was the oddest thing._ Delusion pondered as he stretched every sense out around himself. _I've never felt that before. I can remember sensing the presence of the other titans when they were close, but this? This is new. It was like a beacon — a star appearing from behind a cloud — only I could feel it._

Several seconds crept by, but the sensation did not return. He frowned and looked down at the white coat of the mare he inhabited and the grey stains the stone and masonry dust were leaving behind. _She will come back, but when and with what else? Luna, I could take, even in this form. Delusion smirked. In my normal body, not even Luna and the Elements of Harmony together would pose a threat!_

Delusion chuckled to himself and sent the chunk of rubble flying blindly into the hedge maze. His chuckle evolved into a full belly laugh as it crashed down. For the moment he wasn't bothered by the high pitched braying his throat made. As it faded to a strained wheeze, Delusion shook his head and turned back toward the castle. He widened his smile; he could feel more sleeping minds being added to the Dream as he walked.

_As interesting as all this is, this pathetic equine form needs to go, I think. I should get started on restoring my body. Then I won't have to worry about any pony or who she brings for backup!_

"Hehehehe… Soon enough this body will be just like my old one. Then I can really get some work done terrorizing these little herd beasts!" Delusion felt another cackle rumbling up. "I will be **unstoppable**! The streets will run red! The screams will echo off the mountainside! These stupid magical multicolored equines will-!"

Delusion paused as he reached the gaping hole in the Throne Room wall. _Wait… magical?_ He closed his eyes and grimaced. _How in the Hells does pony magic work? I don't feel anything from this horn. I have Celestia's strength, but where is the fire? Where is the heat of the Sun?_

Delusion growled and then took a slow, deep breath. "Do not get ahead of yourself. You've been lucky this far you, old bird. I need to be paranoid about this. I can't let myself be taken out by the tricks these creatures can perform. I need information." He looked up and around the Throne Room, noting the sleeping forms on the floor. "Do you ponies still make pictographs on clay tablets? And if you do, where do you store them?"

Unsurprisingly, none of the sleepers answered, though one enterprising guard in blue armor did start to snore loudly. Delusion sighed and stepped over the nearest pony. _ No matter. I will just have to harvest the information from their minds._

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

Luna ran her tongue over the front of her teeth, puzzled by the flavor in her mouth. It wasn't unpleasant. It tasted oddly familiar but no food or drink she could think of fit. Whatever caused the taste had been warm and coated her entire palate.

_What was Twilight dreaming?_ Luna raised an eyebrow as she swallowed slowly. _Was I eating something?_ She lowered her eyes back to Twilight who was looking back at her with a furious blush, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Luna froze as the dots connected in her mind. _Oh sweet Heavens, __**again**__? I leave her alone for a minute and she starts dreaming about me… about… me doing…_

"Gah!" Luna flared her wings and flapped them hard to push her off the floating pillows. Her hooves caught on the material and turned her backward leap into an ungraceful fall that deposited the Princess on her rump on the cool floor tiles. She let out an "Umph!" as the fall knocked the wind from her.

Luna pulled her wings in front of her face, feeling her own blush flare and blocking the sight of Twilight sprawled before her. "Twi — I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to! Interrupt — that is!"

_Wait_, Luna furrowed her brow, _Why am I apologizing? She's the dreamer here, not me! And it isn't like I can knock before jumping into a dream! She should be apologizing to-!_

Luna startled as she heard Twilight let out a sob. Her mouth dropped open as her friend started to cry softly. She was no stranger to tears herself, but Luna could count the times she had heard it from another pony, besides her sister since her banishment, on her hooves and still have a few to stand on. It was the most mournful sound a friend could hear. Being the reason for the tears felt crushing in a way Luna had experienced before in her darker period. She couldn't seem to make her lungs work and made her own quiet choking noises.

She found it both odd and completely natural that she wanted to reach out to Twilight. Luna wanted nothing more at that moment than to hold her and shush her tears, tell her everything was okay. She risked a peek between her wider spanned primary feathers at the unicorn. Twilight was sitting now, facing the chalkboard with her equations and notes, presenting Luna with her profile. Her head hung low and most of her face was blocked by her mane, but Luna could see tears gathering to form large droplets that fell from her chin to splatter upon the moon patterned pillow.

Luna ducked her head, unable to watch. She shuddered and coughed as her lungs remembered how to function. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I rushed back… I thought you were in trouble." Luna swallowed. "I could hear you. Calling me, that is. I-I left the connection open and I… I thought that you needed my help."

Luna blinked, feeling moisture form at the edges of her own eyes. "Don't cry. Please, Twilight. I-I don't know what is going on anymore. Everything is suddenly c-c-crazy, and I'm lost, Twilight. I wanted… I wanted to rescue you. To do right." Luna sniffed as she saw her own tears drip on the floor between her hooves. "To be the good mare for once."

"I'm not… angry at you, Luna." Twilight's voice was whisper quiet and sounded ragged. "It isn't your fault. It… it happened again. You—I mean your dream version, I don't know—came on to me. I didn't want it to happen. I didn't want to be d-distracted… like that again."

Luna heard Twilight choke back a sob. "I couldn't control it. Before I knew it, I was laying back… It felt natural, even though I knew it was w-wrong!" She paused for a moment, and Luna lowered her wings enough to peek over them. Twilight was wiping a hoof across her muzzle. "What's wrong with me, Luna? Why can't I control that part?"

Luna dropped her wings, letting them sag for a moment before she folded them back to her sides. She let out a breath she hadn't noticed that she was holding. "Truthfully, I do not know. I don't know about a lot of things, it seems. Some great goddess of ponidom I've turned out to be. I cannot even protect my one friend from," Luna paused, looking for the correct wording, "from whatever is affecting her dreams. How am I to save Equestria?"

Twilight sniffed loudly and looked up. "What? What does that mean?"

"It means just what I said!" Luna blinked her own tears out of her eyes and leaned forward towards Twilight. "How am I to be the heroine this time, Twilight? You are troubled, my sister has gone mad, and monsters that have no right to exist stalk me in the void between the waking world and dreams! I am a bored Princess with little to no social panache and no practical experience with these things!"

Twilight rocked back from the force of Luna's voice and put up a hoof, her eyes widening. "Wait, Luna, what? What do you mean Princess Celestia has gone mad?! What monsters are you talking-?"

"That, my little vessel, would be me."

Canterlot Castle: Throne Room (The Dreaming)

Princess Celestia gently cleared her throat. The sound was soft with just a hint of insistency. It wasn't a word, or a command, but it held within itself an implied question that demanded to be answered as much as any worded query from the monarchy.

Swift Strike blinked as he realized that the sound was intended for him. He may be a member of the Nightguard to Princess Luna, but no pony refused to answer Princess Celestia. He snapped a quick salute as he turned to face the Princess. The rest of the Court seemed oddly empty, which he felt should bother him more so than it did, as if everypony had left for some perfectly reasonable reason that he couldn't recall. It was just him and the Princess, and she had asked him a question that he couldn't remember either. He felt that should bother him too, but he wasn't about to let Princess Celestia know that. Thankfully his helmet provided an easy excuse.

Swift yanked his helm off and held it to his side, keeping his face as stoic as possible. "Yes, Princess? I'm afraid I didn't hear your question. Helmet, you see."

Celestia smiled gently and inclined her head. "Oh, that's no problem. I was merely inquiring where I could find a store of cuneiform tablets describing the function of ponykind magic. In detail."

Swift Strike tilted his head. "Excuse me?"

"Where do you keep your writings, Warrior?"

Swift Strike's eyebrows knitted together and he blushed a bit. "You want to read my novel? I haven't even finished the first draft, Princess—not that I mind! I just assumed you wouldn't have any interest in my writing!"

Celestia continued to smile sweetly, though one eye twitched slightly. "You misunderstand, Warrior. I desire the writings of your sages and elders on the ways of magic. Surely there is a repository nearby? I must go there and learn."

"Why would you need to learn about magic? If you don't mind my asking, Princess. Haven't you written books on the subject yourself?"

Princess Celestia sighed and shook her head, muttering to herself about abject stupidity. "It doesn't matter why I must do so, only that I have to. Now, answer me where your kind keeps the writings of your wise!"

Swift blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. "Um, do you mean the Royal Archives? In Sparkle's Tower?"

Celestia nodded curtly. "Yes. I suppose I do. Where is it?"

Swift Strike raised a hoof and pointed out the window. "You can see it from here, Your Majesty. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. Now go back to sleep. I have business to attend."

Delusion shook his head as the guard pony collapsed like puppet with its strings cut. _ I must be getting rusty. At least now I know where to begin. _He looked out the window the guard had pointed and allowed a smile to spread on his face.

Twilight Sparkle's Dreamscape

Luna tensed and blinked at Twilight. Twilight's brows knitted together in response. As one, they both turned to look back at the tables that littered the main part of the Royal Observatory's lecture chamber. The gas lanterns that provided a soft light in the chamber flickered and hissed. In that moment of darkness a mare appeared between the two foremost tables. The lights stabilized as she sashayed forward, revealing another mirror image of the Lunar Princess. This one shared the Nightmare's slit pupils, however, where the Nightmare was deathly thin and looked dirty and unkempt; this version of Luna looked hale and hearty to the point of being plump and seemed to glow like the full moon.

_Stars above, I wish my flank was actually that full looking!_ Luna blinked as the apparition winked at her.

"Give it time, Princess. Time and some cake." The newcomer stopped a few strides away from Luna and Twilight and tossed her mane dramatically. "I told you that we would be speaking again sooner than you anticipated."

"Nightmare! It is you that besets Twilight? I don't know what you are up to, but so help me, this time I will banish you for good!"

Luna's copy made a 'tsk' noise and waved a hoof dismissively. "You are free to try, Princess. However, I do not believe you would wish to follow through with such an action. Though we are, in fact, one and the same, here I am the Element of Magic rather than your Nightmare. Banishing me would not be… healthy," she paused, "for my mortal host."

"Wait!" Twilight jumped off the pillow and jabbed a hoof at the Element. "You're the Luna that came on to me after the real one left, aren't you? And just what in the name of Tartarus is going on here!? Are you responsible for all these strange dreams I've been having?"

The Element inclined her head to Twilight. "I am afraid that that is true, my Mistress."

A quiet fell after the Element spoke. Its face remained neutral as the three mares looked at each other.

Twilight frowned and raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"And what, Mistress?"

"And **why**!" Twilight huffed and stomped her hooves hard enough to crack the floor tiles. "Why did you do that?"

"I believe you have sufficient information to figure that out, Mistress. The means are justified by the end result." The Element smiled at Twilight and blew her a kiss. "Regardless of that, the Titan of the Sun is in danger of being lost to the void unless you and the Princess act soon."

"What." Twilight's eye twitched. She turned and looked back at Luna. "What?"

Luna shrugged. "I'm still piecing it together myself. I think 'Titan of the Sun' refers to my sister. Before I returned, I was waylaid by a similar apparition… though it looked and spoke differently. And there was something else there. It was looking for me, I know that. But what it is and how all this relates to Celestia going insane," Luna sighed, "I do not know."

"Wait, wait, wait… wait." Twilight frowned and rubbed her temple with one hoof. "Let me get this straight: Princess Celestia has gone nuts, there is a dream monster looking for Luna, the Element of Magic has been causing my crazy sex dreams and is also Nightmare Moon, and this dual personality exists as a separate entity from either of us?"

"That would be the gist of it all." The Element of Magic smirked playfully. "However, you are missing an important distinction. The Titan of the Sun has not gone insane. She is possessed by the very thing that is searching for the Princess. I think that it is trying to take her physical form for itself. Most likely it is attempting to destroy her spirit."

"That bird—**thing**—has my sister? Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" Luna growled and snorted. "I have to save her!" Luna flared her wings, gathering herself to leave the dream. If that monstrosity had harmed her sister's spirit, it would pay dearly. She was about to move when Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Hold on, Luna. We don't know what we're getting into here. I want to save Princess Celestia too, but we need to learn as much as we can about what we're going up against."

"Twilight, I must protes-!" Luna blinked as the hoof on her shoulder planted itself firmly on her mouth.

"I'm helping with this. We are equals in the dream realm, remember?" Twilight leveled a steady look at Luna for a moment before giving her a small smile. She looked back at the Element of Magic. "If you are who you say, then tell us what we're up against."

"As much as you may wish full disclosure, Mistress, I cannot give it to you at this time. It requires a great deal of focus to simply communicate with you on this level of reality. I cannot… articulate great detail. Further, there are many unknown facets to this situation which I can only offer conjecture on at the moment. My knowledge extends only slightly further than your own." The Element bowed her head. "I will tell you what I can."

Behind the Element, the Royal Observatory dissolved into a chaotic abyss of shifting shadows and flashes of distant lights. "The Titan of the Sun seems cleaved in twain; the physical and spiritual essences of her being are currently separate. Similar to the mortals' body and soul, the two parts cannot survive for long without each other. A malignant spirit strong enough to breach a Titan's defenses did this and submitted itself as a replacement to the original spiritual essence. In short, it has taken over the Titan's body and the loosened spirit of that Titan will quickly wither if not returned to its body or otherwise preserved."

The swirling shades and flashes of light seemed to rush away from the edges of Twilight's dreamscape, resolving into what looked like a mountain of tiny lights surrounded by darkness. At the peak of this edifice perched what could be charitably referred to as a falcon of immense proportions made out of a deeper darkness than its surroundings. It hunched over the lights less like a roost and more like a fresh kill. Even as they watched, it lowered its head and gouged out some of the lights with its beak before throwing its head back to work the mass down its throat.

"This is how it feeds, I believe. Each light you see is a pony's dream form. By doing that, it is consuming their life force, or soul. It would seem logical that it has done the same to the Titan of the Sun. One of those lights is hers, and once it goes dark on its own, or from being destroyed, she will be no more. It is gathering a lot of dream forms to gain strength, probably so that it can convert the physical form of the Sun's Titan into something that more closely resembles the new host spirit." The Element paused and looked at Luna and Twilight expectantly.

Luna shuddered, watching the vision play out in the dream in front of her. "I-I can confirm at least some of that. I saw that… thing before I came here. It was lording over a pile of dreams then. I saw it for only a moment. And… I don't know how I know, but I know it has no care for the lives or souls of ponies or me. It was looking for me, and it wanted me dead. I could feel it." Twilight offered Luna a reassuring smile and leaned into her side.

Luna murmured a quiet thank you and dropped her head some, suddenly very interested in the tile floor again. _Aaauugh! I sound so weak! I need to be the strong one here. If Twilight isn't going to let me talk her out coming with me, then I'll have to protect us both. I hope I can._

"How do we beat this thing?" Twilight continued to lean into Luna's side. She sounded remarkably calm.

_How does this little mare do it? I'm the goddess here, and I can barely keep myself from going into hysterics!_ Luna glanced at Twilight without moving her head. Even with the unicorn leaning in to offer support, she somehow managed to look regal and confident. _She has saved Equestria from insane gods and shapeshifting bugs and even my darker half. Where does she get the strength?_

"As antiquated as it sounds, you must save the Sun's Titan." The Element of Magic grinned mirthlessly and showed fangs that matched her slit pupils. "I do not think that you could stand up against the Titan's possessed physical form. However, the Princess has the ability to travel into the dream forms of mortal ponies, and I believe if you could get into the Titan's dream form, you could rouse her. The three of you combined should then be able to overthrow the possessing spirit."

Luna watched Twilight catch an errant strand of her mane in her mouth and chew gently. The unicorn looked about, focusing on nothing as she thought. After a second, she looked up and met Luna's gaze. Twilight dropped the strand of hair. "Luna, if what she says is true, then we'll need your powers to save Princess Celestia. Can you get us into the dreams of ponies this thing has captured?"

"Truly," Luna turned her head to fully look Twilight in the face, "I do not know. It is something I have never tried. But tonight, I have borne witness to things I would have scoffed at as impossible only yesterday. I suppose I can try."

Twilight gave Luna an encouraging smile. "Good. Do you think we can trust this… whatever it is? The Element of Magic has never spoken to me before or guided my hoof so directly. Knowledge is important, but we must always consider where or who it comes from. That's something your sister taught me long ago. And recently enough with my brother's wedding, to trust my instincts. My instincts tell me she isn't lying, but we aren't getting the whole of the truth either."

Luna raised her eyebrow and glanced quickly back at the Element who stood there with a polite smile waiting for them to finish. "I cannot tell for certain myself, but I think that she is correct about waking my sister. Before I returned, I saw the entire court down. Unconscious, I think. Some magic this thing uses puts ponies to sleep. While I did not succumb, as a mortal pony, you might. If we can get in and awaken Tia, her power should be more than enough to oust the invading spirit. The Nightmare said something odd about—"

"Time becomes short, Mistress" The Element of Magic moved closer and gestured back at the view of glittering mountain of pony dreams. "Even as we speak, the spirit grows closer to destroying the Titan of the Sun and the mortal ponies whose dreamforms it has already gathered. You know what you must do. As you cannot traverse the dream realm yourself, I will aid the Princess in transporting you along with her, so that the spirit may be exorcised."

Twilight looked at Luna expectantly. "Your call, Luna."

Luna swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "We must do this. I'd rather not endanger you, Twilight. If you insist on coming though, I welcome your company and advice." She looked back at the Element. "Do what you must. But should my friend come to harm by your actions, I will find a way to make you and the Nightmare pay."

The Element started to glow, her mane whipping in a wind of her own creation. "Of that I am certain you will, Princess."

Her eyes faded to all white, and the Element lifted off the floor, hovering a few inches above the tiles. She looked directly at Twilight, the smaller pony gasped as she began to float as well. There was a blinding flash followed by a hollow 'pop' noise, and when Luna blinked the afterimages from her eyes, she stood alone in Royal Observatory.

Luna turned and looked into the corners of the dream, finding nothing pony or otherwise. She opened her mouth to speak when she suddenly felt the dream start to unravel. It wasn't the usual way a dream came undone with the waking of the dreamer but more the fade of a shadow as the sun rose.

_Hurry! Go now while it is distracted!_

"Wha?" Luna startled and shook her head vigorously. _ That wasn't my thought!_

_Go!_

Luna wasn't sure what she was doing but she raised her head and broke into a swift gallop, charging straight for the opening from Twilight's dreamscape back to the void. She pictured the huge mound of dreams in her mind, willing her magic to search for an opening. Luna spread her wings and jumped as she reached the edge of the rapidly fading Royal Observatory.

_I'm coming, Tia! Hold on Twilight, this is going to be a bumpy ride!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Canterlot Castle: Sparkle Tower

The tower the guard pony directed Delusion toward loomed in front of him as he lurched, still unsteady in his borrowed equine body, across the promenade. The whole of the castle's occupants were now under the power of his Dreaming, trapped within their own minds, completely unaware. He could already feel new minds being added as his powers reached into the city just below the sprawling castle grounds.

_If I could only remember how far these creatures have spread. These ponies are like rainbow-colored weeds! They get into everything if left unchecked. Note to self: find a map while I'm in the archives. I'd like to know how long it's going to take to blanket all of Equestria in the Dream._

Delusion walked up the wide steps to the tower door and sneered as a borrowed white hoof rose to push it aside. The old wood snapped and the door buckled under his attention, slowing Celestia's stolen form for half a stride. The inner room appeared to be a small antechamber with a large desk covered in stacks of books and scrolls. Behind the desk, a stout yellow stallion lay on his back, hooves in the air, and twitching as he dreamed.

Talons the size of lances and sharp enough to rend spirits from their flesh gently plucked a swirling dreamform from the mound below it. The raptor drew its prize up to beak level and inspected it with critical, alien eyes.

_This one will do._

The dreamform swelled in front of the giant bird's eyes, its yellow colored swirls thinning to reveal a large sun-lit room filled with ponies reading books and scrolls. _Yes, this one can find the answers I need. I simply need to pull it out screaming into the darkness! I - No!_ Delusion shook his head. _No, be rational. Trick it. Use this damnable 'princess' form. There will be time for terror later, once I am sure no creature can stand against me._

The talon lifted the bloated dreamform higher where he could look at it directly. Wispy trails of inky black smoke from the smoldering, dying coals of his eyes drifted toward the dream. The bright yellow sphere began to darken as it expanded further, looming above him like some wasted and washed out planet. The library at its center turned dark and moon-lit. The extra ponies vanished with a flick of his will until only the dreamer remained.

Dewey Decimal squinted at the book held in his hoof. The dim moonlight made it hard to read the words on the binding. He frowned at the blurry cover and wondered why he hadn't turned on the lights after the sun went down.

Dewey blinked and shook his head. "Wait. When did the sun go down?"

"When I willed it so, pony."

Dewey whipped around, dropping the book he had been holding. He gasped when he recognized Princess Celestia standing a few feet from him. For the life of him, he couldn't remember if there had been a scheduled visit today or not.

"W-why, of course, your m-majesty!" Dewey bowed so that the Princess wouldn't see his surprise. "I was merely thinking out loud! I was just wondering why I had forgotten to turn on some lights…"

The archive custodian's voice faded as golden light permeated the room, the overhead lamps flaring to life with a hiss. He looked up and ran face-to-chest into the Princess. Dewey staggered backwards and swallowed quickly.

"Um… how did-?"

"Do you require more light?" Celestia leaned down and turned her head oddly to look directly into his eyes with one of hers.

Dewey blinked. "Uh...no?"

"Good."

"Er, how can I help you, Princess?" Dewey smiled weakly. He couldn't put a hoof on it, but something seemed off. The Princess twitched, her face scrunching into a disdainful sneer for a second before returning to some form of interested neutral.

"You will bring me books on your pony magic." Celestia turned her head to fix her other eye on Dewey, her mane falling listlessly over half of her face. "Bring all of them to me."

Delusion frowned as he eyed the neat rows of bookshelves that ran the length of the walls to either side of the great central room at the base of Sparkle's Tower. A second level of shelving laden with metal and leather bound tomes ran above the first with a set of narrow walkways that were accessed by tightly spiraled gothic staircases. Tables in neat rows and covered in even more books filled the large middle space of the enormous room. The far wall was a huge bay of windows that would catch the light of the rising sun, illuminating the huge room and the gigantic hourglass that sat on a small dais in middle of the floor.

At the moment, the wane moon light coated the chamber in dim silvery light. The Royal Archive's single custodian, a stallion clerk, snored loudly from behind the desk where Delusion had found him. Delusion wasn't certain what he would do with this portion of the Castle once he began construction for his new nest. He couldn't read the blocky scribbles these equines claimed as writing but he was forced to admit that the collected information in this archive could prove useful eventually.

_It is becoming increasingly apparent that the knowledge I gained while being trapped as part of Discord is… incomplete. These pitiful creatures have advanced far beyond what I recall._ Delusion sighed. _All the more reason I need to establish myself as their greatest fear quickly. Teasing them with false hope may be good for fun and spicing up their flesh but rebels with too much hope for victory could become very annoying._

Celestia's smile seemed a little forced to Dewey as he trotted back towards her with several books held in his magical grip. He opened one of the books and gestured at a blank page proudly. "Here is the information on magic you're searching for, Princess. Is there anything else I can find for you?"

"Thank you… subject." Celestia's mouth twitched again. "Now, please bring me tomes that detail the strength of your military forces and the tactics your kind employ in war."

"Excuse me? I don't understand, Princess." Dewey tilted his head and looked up at Princess Celestia. Perhaps he was just confused, but something still nagged at him that something was off. The reality of the dreamscape behind him wobbled drunkenly.

"Bring me books on war." The Princess dropped her increasingly creepy smile and glared down at Dewey.

"We don't have any books on that subject, your Highness."

"Why not?"

_If it doesn't bring me what I want, I will eat this idiotic piece of filth!_ Delusion grumbled under his breath and tried to keep his anger in check. _No! I still need this one for the foreseeable future. If I want to learn anything at all about these beasts, I need to remain calm. Everything is under control. I am in control. I will not let this dumb pony get the better of me._

"Um… because we don't. We haven't gone to war since ever, your Highness. There has never been a need to have a military. We have you. Oh! And Princess Luna, of course!" Dewey grinned and hoped it didn't look as awkward as it felt. "But I think we may have some books about the griffon military, maybe. I can get those for you."

"You have no standing military? No warrior class?" Her Highness, Princess Celestia smiled again. It felt like a real smile for the first time since she had arrived. Dewey beamed at her, happy to be of help.

"Of course not, your Highness. We have the royal guard, there are the Wonderbolts – even though they're mostly ceremonial now - but Equestria hasn't needed a standing military force since you united the pony tribes under one banner and dismissed Discord. Every pony that knows a lick of history knows that!"

Celestia's smile widened and she chuckled in that magical way of hers. "That is surprisingly good news, subject. You have pleased me!" Celestia leaned forward, tilting her head to the side to regard him with one large unblinking eye.

Dewey's grin faded a little as she moved closer. He loved the chance to please the Princess personally but the look in her eye didn't really match her smile. "Um…Princess? Is everything alright? Something doesn't feel right."

"Oh," Princess Celestia's eye twitched, "everything is fine. Get some sleep. Your ruler needs to catch up on his reading."

"What?" Dewey wobbled on his hooves and blinked. The air seemed thick and smoky suddenly and he couldn't breathe or keep his eyes open.

Delusion watched the custodian collapse. A moment later the dream followed suit as the mind that gave it form and reason stopped functioning. He grinned to himself and then opened his beak wide to toss the pitiful remnants in to fuel his growing strength.

In the waking world, Delusion's laughter echoed off the walls of the darkened Royal Archive. He looked down at the drooling body of the custodian as it twitched awkwardly, blue eyes open and staring at nothing. It would take a while to digest all the knowledge the mind contained but Delusion didn't feel pressed for haste just yet.

Equestria

The view of the dark Everfree forest from the narrow cliff ledge vanished as a swirl of teleportation magic washed over Fleur di Lis. When it cleared, she and her mentor Fancypants stood in a wide field of tall, coarse grass that swished quietly in a gentle breeze. Fleur brought the stone claw and the potion out in her pale white magical aura. She started to work the cork loose when Fancypants placed his hoof on her shoulder abruptly.

"Not here. I want to do this somewhere safe." Fancypants reached under the lapel of his jacket and pulled out a small watch. "I want to put a few more teleports between us and that witchdoctor."

Fancypants squinted at the watch. "Ah, good. It should be just after lights out in Hoofendale."

Light flooded their eyes after another wave of magic swept over the two unicorns, the natural darkness of night in the wilds replaced by light poles above a wide thoroughfare in a small town that sat near the base of Canterlot mountain. Fleur could see it looming in the distance by the void it made in the starry sky on the horizon.

There came a nearby cry of alarm from a local pony, a startled stallion that smelled strongly of elderberries crashed into the side of a trash bin in an alley near where they had appeared. Fleur snickered to herself behind her mask. Fancypants offered a smile and a wave to the lush before twisting reality again and leaving behind only hoofprints in the road to mark their passing.

Fleur glared at Fancypants through her enchanted night vision goggles as reality reasserted itself. "Vous auriez pu me prévenir."

Fancypants ignored her, his eyes staring into the distance as he concentrated on teleporting them around the country side, as if they were standing in the middle of some god's giant picture book as the pages were rapidly flipped. "Nous serons bientôt à destination. Je veux simplement m'assurer que nos traces soit des plus difficiles à suivre."

Eventually the constant shifting ceased, and the world snapped to a halt with a feeling of finality in pitch black darkness. Fleur's goggles painted the scene in a bright neon green as she looked around what seemed to be a natural cave with large crystalline growths springing from the walls. The air smelled musty and damp even through her filtered mask. A heavy crypt-like silence hung in the air until a scratch and hiss announced the lighting of a match. Fleur muttered under her breath as a tiny flame appeared and illuminated Fancypants for an instant. He lit a nearby candle without using his magic and shook out the match.

Fancypants switched to Equestrian Common. "Do not use any magic here except for your telekinesis. And limit that as much as you can. The crystals around us absorb and reflect magic." Fancypants lifted the candle holder from a natural stone ledge cut into the wall and onto his back. "I would suggest holding the objects close to you for now. No need to risk a reaction."

Fleur grunted angrily but complied and slipped them into the pocket of her catsuit's slim built-in saddle bags. She pushed her goggles up with a hoof and unzipped her mask. "Why not put them away again into my magical chest?"

"You won't have access to your dimensional holding space here. Too much interference." Fancypants shrugged as if this should be obvious and turned away from Fleur.

Muscle memory, more than the wane candlelight, led him out across a mostly even, rough stone floor under an arching cavern ceiling. Some of the crystals were bigger than a buffalo and picked up the light from the candle and reflected it, amplifying it until the large chamber was dimly lit enough to walk safely. As Fancypants moved the light bounced and flashed oddly from the thousands of refractions around the cavern and caused the shadows to jump and dance. In front of him, not far from where they appeared, a deeper recessed blot of darkness in the crystal-studded wall fought against the encroaching light.

"Where are we?" Fleur followed her teacher. As they drew nearer, the darkness fell away to reveal itself as a recessed, heavy metal door with a large circular crank in the center and no decoration to explain its purpose.

"Where we are isn't important, Fleur. This location is secret to all except me, and I intend to keep it that way." Fancypants shot an amused glance over his shoulder. "Think about it this way: you'll have plausible deniability should you ever be questioned as to the location of my secret laboratory. We can conduct our business here safely."

Fleur hmphed and frowned as Fancypants set about opening the door. It was unlikely that she would ever be questioned about any of this. Once the authorities figured out their deception and theft - assuming they ever found out and he wasn't successful at harnessing the powers of chaos - then she would likely already be beyond Equestrian borders and living a new life with a new name. The only ones that would even bother to question her would be the other Rogues. They would certainly kill her too, eventually. But not before prying out every scrap of knowledge in Fleur's mind. There were a few in the so-called Inner Circle that might even question her after death, dredging her very soul for information.

Thankfully, Fleur knew precious little about the Inner Circle members, and Fancypants meant it to remain that way. He dropped a few whispered half-truths here and there when she tried to eavesdrop on his conversations but she had no independent proof of any of it. All Fleur did know was what Fancypants felt comfortable revealing.

Fancypants pulled the door open with a strained grunt. It swung open in ominous silence despite its obvious mass and the corrosion on its hinges, revealing a small chamber with another unornamented metal door on the other side.

"Step inside my parlor." Fancypants smiled and bowed shallowly to Fleur, gesturing her forward.

"Arrêtez d'être enfantin." Fleur shot a glare at the tall stallion and slipped inside the small chamber.

"Here," Fancypants passed the candlestick to Fleur, "Don't let it go out. I'd rather not have to keep relighting it." He followed Fleur into the space and reared up to grip the heavy iron door with both front hooves, hauling it closed behind them. As he turned the crank in the center to lock it, Fancypants could feel the pressure change in his eardrums.

The stallion nodded to himself when he heard the door's lock thud into place. "From here on out, touch nothing unless I instruct it. Is that clear?"

"It will be as soon as you explain why." Fleur kept her voice low and even as she shifted her stance, her eyes watching Fancypants' every move. "I've learned it is in my best interest to have all the information I can get. You've hammered that wisdom into my head often enough with your training these past years."

"True." Fancypants chuckled to himself and stepped over to the inner of the two doors and started to turn the crank slowly. It moved with a great deal less effort than the first one. "This is the lab where I have performed more... dangerous experiments in the past. Some of my longer studies are still in progress. As you might suspect, these things are delicate. Interference could set me back by years."

Fancypants paused as the lock clicked and the door swung open slightly. Fleur stepped up next to him as he pushed the door fully open to reveal a long, narrow passage that burrowed through solid stone as straight as an arrow. "You might also unleash something with a grudge to settle with any pony it can get its claws on."

"Good to know." Fleur nervously ran her tongue over her lips as she stared into the hallway, the meager light from the candle that flickered from the holder balanced on her back barely illuminated the featureless walls just past the threshold. She fell silent for a moment as both unicorns regarded what lay before them. "Après vous."

Fancypants nodded and took the candle holder in his teeth from her back before starting down the hallway at a steady pace. Fleur fell in pace behind him, her tense shoulders at odds with her calm face. After a few yards she could feel a slight slant to the smooth floor and the pale colored stone that surrounded her started to take on a green tint. The quiet was deafening. Fleur had raided her share of tombs and ruins in the past. She knew spirits were real - though blessedly rare - but she could feel with every step that they were approaching something that was not happy about their presence.

The downward slant in the floor became more pronounced as they trekked further away from the natural caves, the material around them becoming increasingly green and smooth with fewer and fewer strata of crystal and granite. Fleur blanched at the thought of the back-breaking work that would've gone into creating the tunnel if the magic-absorbing properties of the crystals were as strong as her benefactor implied. She couldn't imagine him doing all this on his own, and he employed no servants or slaves that she was aware of that could accomplish the task either. The heavy - and, she suspected, cold iron - doors aside, Fleur didn't believe for a moment that this was a natural formation.

Fleur trusted her instincts. More times than she could count, that vague feeling in her core had saved her life and hide. They told her something was wrong before her conscious mind could identify any problems. They were rarely wrong, and as she followed Fancypants deeper, that feeling grew louder. Her instincts wanted her out of this deep underground hallway and as far from whatever was at the end of the hall as possible. The fine hairs that ran along her spine would be standing on end if it weren't for her tight leather outfit. Her tools and the prizes of their two most recent thefts weighed heavily on her sides.

Fleur frowned when her mentor failed to show any signs of rising unease as the slant became a true descent and the two of them had to proceed carefully with staggered steps down the slope. She almost blurted out her desire to turn around when Fancypants came to a stop in front of yet another metal door with a circular crank in its center.

"Mind your mane."

"What?" Fleur cocked her head to the side as she attempted to look around Fancypant's bulk at the door. She saw him give the crank a half turn, then everything went dark as the candle blew out in the sudden hurricane force wind that sprang into existence and threatened to pull her off her hooves and yanked her braided mane around into her face. A part of her mind knew that the gale in the tunnel lasted only a moment, but if felt like forever until the pressure equalized and she heard the inner door far behind them slam shut with an echoing '_**bong**_'.

The Dreaming

The last thing Twilight remembered was the Element of Magic floating above the observatory floor and glowing in her dream with Luna. Twilight didn't remember how she had ended up reclining on top of what looked like a baby grand piano. Nor did she remember putting on a slinky, sequined red dress that felt like it was split up her hip past her cutie mark. Twilight pushed herself up and carefully slipped off the piano, her hooves hitting the floor almost silently as she squinted her eyes against the bright spotlight aimed at her.

"Luna?" Twilight raised a hoof to shade her eyes but she couldn't make out anything beyond the glare other than vague shapes. _Why does my mane feel funny? Where are my bangs?_

Twilight looked up in an attempt to see her own hair. She could feel that her mane was still there, but it felt like it had been put into some sort of complicated up-do or bun. _How does that work? Was somepony dreaming of me in a dress with my hair styled? How does their dream creation interact with my own self-visualization when visiting the dream of another pony?_

Twilight blinked. She was in the dreamscape of another pony. A pony she didn't know, who was dreaming of her in a slinky gown draped over a piano in what she could only assume was a provocative pose. Twilight swallowed hard and thought back on the conversation she'd had with Luna earlier about dream manipulation. She might need to defend herself and find out where and who the owner of this dream was.

Elsewhere in the Dreaming

Luna blinked as reality and consciousness - as far as she understood it - returned with a vertigo-inducing whip-crack. She groaned and scrunched her eyes closed as bright light bombarded the back of her retinas.

_It's a good thing I'm already laying down._ Luna groaned again and prodded gently at her temple with the edge of her hoof. _Wait. Where am I?_

Luna cracked open one eye, grimacing at the pain the light caused her. Her head felt thick and full of cotton. She hadn't felt that particular sensation since... she couldn't remember when. Her pupil contracted slowly, her vision clearing after several moments. For an instant, Luna wondered if she'd somehow missed the passing of the night into day and been transported to some opulent mansion grounds of one of the Canterlot nobles.

In front of her a marble path encircled a giant swimming pool that was reflecting sunshine into her face. Several lounge chairs sat around the pool with perhaps a half-dozen ponies laying in them, soaking up the sun's rays. Luna lifted her head off her own such chair and looked behind her. Past the marble path, the ground turned to manicured grass, but it only stretched about a hoofspan beyond; past that the grass lost definition and faded into a green colored non-material that stretched into a grey distance.

Now that she looked back at the other ponies lounging around her, Luna could see that they lacked details such as unique manes and cutie marks. They were all roughly the same shade of dull yellow and had the same build to them. Besides herself, only one stood out from the others: a tan colored mare with a short brown, curly mane.

_Where do I know her from? I thought I'd memorized all the nobles._ Luna pushed herself into a seated position, working her other eye open against the glare coming off the pool. Her entire body felt achy and heavy, as if she were some sick filly.

"Oh, Princess, are you thirsty?" The tan mare turned and raised her dark sunglasses to reveal pale blue eyes. "I'll have the servants bring something cool to drink."

_The fourth floor scullery maid?_ Luna blinked again as her memory served her. Before she could voice a reply however, a pony in butler's dress appeared with a platter covered with tall glasses filled with ice water. Luna's throat burned with the need to swallow and she smiled gratefully as one was offered.

_Well, I am certainly still in a dream. But is this dream a part of that pile we saw?_ Luna sipped at her water and frowned as it failed to neither soothe her sore throat nor quench her thirst. _The maid must have been dreaming of me as a guest here, I suppose. However, we still don't know where my sister's spirit… is that even the correct term, Twilight?_

Luna waited for a reply. She was certain that the voice in her head she had heard just before leaving Twilight's dreamspace belonged to the unicorn herself. Luna flushed at the memory. After the sort of dreams Twilight had apparently been having about her, the thought of having the pony in her mind was mildly scary.

_Twilight?_ Luna downed the remaining water in her glass and crunched an ice cube between her teeth. _This dream is sorely lacking in realization, wouldn't you agree? This ice barely feels cold or wet. By the Moon, my throat is killing me! I'm glad I don't have to speak out loud to you._

Besides the echo of her own inner monologue, silence reigned in Luna's mind.

_Twilight? Can you hear me? Just where did the Element of Magic put you inside my mind?_ Luna shook her head, trying to cut her imagination off before it started supplying her with thoughts she'd rather Twilight not see. _Twilight? Yooowhoo?_

No pony other than herself answered Luna's thoughts. The dreaming maid stretched and rolled over onto her front so her back would be warmed by whatever passed for the sun in the dream.

"Twi...Twilight?" Luna coughed and grimaced again. Her voice sounded gravely and puny to her ears. "Element?"

_I would almost settle for that thrice damned Nightmare to answer me at this moment._

Luna struggled to her hooves. She wasn't sure if her muscles simply felt weak or if it was a function of the dream or the perception of the scullery maid that weighed her down. _I cannot stay here! I need to find Celestia. Dear Faust, why aren't you answering me Twilight?_

Luna wobbled as she stood and flared her wings for balance. She could feel her stomach turn sickeningly and she held still for a moment to let it settle. She hadn't vomited in centuries and she would be damned if she was going to start again now. "Faust… what is wrong with me? Why do I feel so sick?"

Luna coughed and took a trembling step forward. It sent jolts of pain through her joints and she felt faint. Luna stopped and took a shuddering breath. _No! I will not let this stop me! I am Luna the Sacred Night, and I refuse to let this get the best of me!_ Luna grit her teeth and squared her shoulders, facing the gray horizon and took another step.

The ground came up at her fast. Her trapezius muscle, between her neck and shoulder and wing on her left side buckled and sent Luna tumbling. The ground itself lacked the definition and detail of true reality but it still had all the same solidity. The shock of the impact made Luna's vision swim and fade as she rolled on her side at the edge where the grass and marbled path met. Her energy spent, Luna wheezed into the grass and lay there while the dream world spun around her.

"You cannot pass into unconsciousness here, Mistress. This is the realm of the mind, and the best one can hope for here is a state of catatonia. If you were curious."

Luna tried to reply with a proper sounding 'what?' but it came out as a cough mixed with an unhealthy groan. She recognized her own voice, even with the odd hiss and gurgle that accompanied it. It took far too much effort to turn her head and look up. Barely a wingspan away, the emaciated, chain-wrapped and wracked form of the Nightmare stood and gazed back at her with half-lidded serpentine eyes.

The Nightmare looked even worse than before. Her skin gripped her frame loosely along her legs and neck where the black chains wrapped around her. She looked dirtier and her wings were ratty and disproportionately large. They hung low on her sides, the primary feathers long enough to drag on the ground.

The Nightmare looked away and sighed. "Being so close to the source brings back old memories. You must be cautious, young Mistress."

"Where i-is Twilight? Why won't she an-answer me?" Luna scrunched her eyes closed. Her left shoulder felt like it was on fire. "What is wrong with me?"

"Just as you may only enter a dream where you are being dreamed of," the Nightmare stepped closer and offered her hoof, "So too is it with my other host. She is nearby, I think. But you must hurry and reunite with her, Mistress."

Luna opened her eyes at the sound of the Nightmare's clinking chains. She looked at the offered hoof and then up at the apparition's face. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because, as you say, it is time to 'Goddess up.'"

Luna blinked at the ragged hoof for a moment before wrapping her own around it with a pained grunt. The Nightmare pulled Luna upright without any obvious effort and turned to face the grey nothingness that stretched beyond the bounds of the scullery maid's dream while Luna wobbled uncertainly. She raised her hoof and pointed vaguely off to the left of eternity.

"You should find Twilight Sparkle in that direction."

"You don't sound certain of that." Luna swallowed hard again, fighting nausea as her stance stabilized. Her muscles were still on fire and her head felt thick and hot with fever like she hadn't known in all her time as an alicorn.

"Direction and distance are uncertain things in dreams, young Mistress."

"I know th-that!" Luna sputtered, her tone harsh. "Dreaming magic is my _specialty_." Luna jerked her head towards her cutie mark and immediately regretted it as her vision swam and her recently regained balance disappeared. The only thing that kept her from toppling back into the grass was a large wing that landed firmly across her shoulders.

"You _must_ focus!" The Nightmare's reptilian eyes locked with Luna's. "If you wish to save the Titan of the Sun, yourself, and all Equestria, then you have to focus and move! The spirit that possesses the Titan's body and gathered these dreams pollutes them somehow. You are not as much a master of the dream world as you like to think. It creates falsehoods and feeds off of it. _That_ is why you feel sick!"

Luna squinted at the Nightmare. Her breath stank and being so close to her, her coat and exposed skin looked even worse. Her face was especially gaunt with sunken cheeks and the ridges of bone around her eyes prominent with large - almost bruised - dark circles directly under them. Luna grit her teeth and leaned away from the sick mockery of her own face. "I...I don't want to be like you."

The Nightmare grinned fiercely at that, showing Luna her sharp fangs and filthy, serrated teeth. A few were missing. "We'll see yet about that, youngling. Now... run. Run as fast as your legs will carry you and find Twilight Sparkle. She is key to your success."

"What does that mean?"

"**STOP STALLING!**" The force of the Nightmare's shout would have thrown Luna to the ground if her wing had not moved its grip to scoop Luna up and literally throw her out into the grey void. Luna hit something - there wasn't anything there that could be identified as the ground - running, her heart pounding in her chest as the Nightmare and the scullery maid's pool party faded swiftly behind her.

Luna's panicked gallop slowed to a trot as she lost all bearing on direction. Now that she was beyond the dreamscape, her body felt almost normal. Her muscles felt strong and ready, her stomach was at ease, and the fever that had threatened to consume her was completely absent. Luna slowed herself to a steady walk and looked about to see if she could make out anything that might pass for a landmark.

"Where in Tartarus am I?" Her voice sounded slightly muffled, much like it did when flying through a thick cloud bank. _Ok, Luna, figure this out. Dream magic is your specialty._

Luna sighed. _First thing's first. Let's see if I can at least detect or sense Twilight's location._ Luna stopped walking and looked around herself.

The featureless space she had been thrown into was not the void she was familiar with. That place was dark and held all the minds of the world: the thoughts, emotions and memories of every living thing on Equus. But those things made up that realm's very essence. They were the building blocks, much like air, water, and earth were the building blocks of the waking world. This place felt different. It felt the same as a dream, fully formed except there was no dreamscape and no dreamer.

Luna squinted and willed her eyes to look beyond the surface, to the swirling natural magic that allowed all creatures to dream and her own magic could manipulate. As she focused, curling smoke-like structures swirled around her like the web of some colossal mad spider. In most dreams the structures were stable as the dream played out, changing only as the sleeping mind directed it to do so. With just her gentle probing, the web stabilized around her, and Luna could feel the structures take notice of her. It felt odd; the magic seemed to almost want to be commanded, to be shaped into something, anything. The sensation wasn't unpleasant, but it made her think of some kind of pet that was missing its master.

_What could have created this place? How does a dream form without a mind to give it shape?_ Luna frowned. Dream magic was her specialty. She'd played with these forces since she had been a filly and none of this made any sense to her. Whatever the spirit was that had attacked them and possessed her sister had to be behind it all somehow.

Luna shook her head and looked around again, trying to glean where Twilight might be. The swirling natural magic quivered under her gaze but offered her no solutions. After a moment of fruitless search, Luna pulled her legs up under herself comfortably and closed her eyes. She drew in a deep, calming breath before letting it out slowly. _There has to be a way to find Twilight. Perhaps I could trace the connection I formed with my dream searching spell earlier? It did stay open, even through the attack._

Behind her eyelids, Luna visualized her spellwork, the tendrils she reached out to dreaming minds which shimmered as they drifted in an ethereal breeze around her in a giant twisting network. The thin threads bunched near her and faded away as they stretched into the distance. _Find Twilight's thread. Look for the active connection. The rest of this can't go too far._

She tried to refine her visualization, eliminating large swaths of strands that ended within her range to sense and expanded the rest into wide colorful ribbons of magic that twisted around each other and wove themselves into a patchwork rainbow.

_This is going to be impossible! _Luna bit her lip as she spun the visualization around again. _There are still too many vectors! Is this play playing havoc with my magic too?_

She frowned, her brow knitting as she concentrated. _No. Not too many. Find Twilight. Look for magic and math. Look for stars. Look for beautiful amethyst eyes._ She couldn't eliminate any more of the threads or the delicate pattern would collapse in on itself. She spread the threads out around her, twisting the spell matrix in circles to look at it from different angles.

_This will take forever! How can I...wait, what's that?_ Luna turned and grinned as she pulled a far off tendril toward herself. It flashed a familiar shade of purple as it moved like an enormous ribbon in a gentle breeze. _This __**has**__ to be it._

Luna giggled to herself and danced in place in the emptiness between the coalesced dreams. _Now I just need to follow this to Twilight_, Luna chuckled and reached out to touch the tendril with her hoof, _and things will start looking up aga-!_

As her hoof touched the ribbon of magic that connected her to Twilight, Luna felt a sudden pulling sensation, as if she was being yanked across some great distance. With the featureless gray nothingness around her, it was hard to tell how far she might be going or how fast. The sensation ended a moment later as a carpeted hallway materialized itself, and her perceived momentum sent Luna tumbling into a wood paneled wall with enough force to crack it from floor to ceiling and knock the breath from her lungs.

Luna coughed into the carpet, her ears rang from the impact, and her eyes refused to focus on anything for a long moment. The dream continued to materialize around her, the hallway growing longer with doors appearing every dozen or so of steps. Luna shook the spots from her vision and struggled back to a standing position, one wing bracing against the wall as she hauled her hooves underneath herself.

Once the world stopped spinning, Luna ran a hoof through her mane and squinted at the dreamstuff forming around her. It felt like centuries since the last time she had seen a dream form with her in it. It was more than a little frightening to be reminded of how little experience she had with the naturally forming variety of dream magic.

_By Faust, I am out of practice! This shouldn't be this hard._

Dark, turbulent eddies of dream realities swirled around Luna, twisting the straight panels and skewing the geometric lines of the hall slightly which gave it a sick sense of wrongness. Two distinct dreams collided with each other overhead like angry storm clouds. It was almost like watching two tornadoes do battle, with misty half-formed dream realities meeting violently as they twisted themselves beyond recognition. _I always feel there should be thunder of some sort when that happens_, Luna thought as she righted herself, _I've never seen this happen like this from the inside before. Everything is wrong._

Luna scratched her head with one hoof as ill-formed memories nagged at her. Ancient memories stirred and rattled around her skull in a most annoyingly vague way, always eluding her grasp just when she thought them pinned down. For the life of her, Luna couldn't recall when or where she would have seen dreams collide before. She was sure such an event would require powerful and dark magics but couldn't even begin to think where to even start with crafting such a spell. Or why somepony would need or use something like that.

Luna paled as she considered the possibility that everything she thought she knew about dreams, the sleeping mind, and the magics that affected them was potentially incorrect. Or very incomplete. She swallowed hard and stepped forward just as the nearest door burst open from being shoulder-checked by a galloping Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight's entry into the hallway ended similarly to Luna's as she crashed at full speed into the wall. Twilight, however, did not fall to the ground after her impact and instead kicked the door closed behind her before throwing herself back to brace up against it. The door shuddered as something large hit it from the other side nearly tossing Twilight off her hooves.

"Twilight?" Luna gawked as the unicorn grunted and dug her hooves deeper into the carpet. "Is that you?" Luna rushed forward and planted her shoulder against the door as whatever it was on the other side slammed into it again hard enough for the wood to splinter and crack. "What in the name of Celestia is going on? I thought I'd lost you!"

"Hold that thought." Twilight sounded oddly calm as she turned around and backed up against the opposite wall to face Luna and the door. "Open it."

Luna blinked at twilight. "Why?"

Twilight's horn started to glow a deep magenta. "So I don't miss."

Luna narrowed her eyes at the bright light coming off Twilight's horn and pulled the door open with herself tucked safely behind it. The door's bulk blocked her sight but Luna caught a brief glimpse of a large beast paw reaching through the doorway. Twilight's spell erupted and wooden planks shattered into a hail of splinters that shot through the door and presumably into the face of whatever was on the other side. Whatever it was let out a feral scream loud enough that Luna thought her eardrums might burst.

She slammed the door shut as soon as the spell finished and the noise subsided. Luna twisted the dream to form a huge padlock over the handle to hopefully keep it closed. She shuddered and released a breath she'd didn't know she was holding. Her heart was racing as she looked back at Twilight.

The purple mare slumped to the floor as smoke drifted from her horn. Twilight breathed deeply and exhaled slowly through her nose. She looked back at Luna. "Where have you been? I'm pretty sure this is the third dream I've been through looking for you. I'm glad I finally found you, Luna."

_She's already been through three? How long was I out?_ Luna looked at Twilight incredulously. "I've been looking for you too. What was that thing?"

"Oh, that was just somepony that couldn't take constructive criticism on the realism of their Ursa Minor." Twilight sighed. "That…that isn't important now. I found you, and we can finally get started on tracking down Princess Celestia."

Luna stared at Twilight, her mouth hanging open slightly. _Who __**is**__ this mare? How can she be so calm and focused in the face of this ridiculous situation? How does she do it?_ Luna shut her jaw with a snap and held out her hoof to help Twilight back on to her hooves. Twilight felt light in her grip, like a feather. She looked tired and winded yet seemed like she was ready to tackle whatever stood between them and Celestia.

_And on top of it all, Iwas cheated out of rescuing Twilight! The universe is laughing at me and dismissing everything I thought I knew about dream magic! I can't be a heroine like this mare! I couldn't save her, and at this rate I won't even be able to impress her!_ Luna wanted to kick herself. She had been the one to rush off to save her sister, and with Twilight here, what purpose did her own presence serve?

Twilight groaned as she brushed her coat off and plucked a few large splinters out of her mane. She looked up expectantly at Luna and tilted her head slightly, her mouth opened to speak, when the door rattled violently again. Something heavy and angry slammed into it but it remained shut.

Luna glanced at the door and recalled why she had put a lock on it just a moment before. "Yes, I think it would be best to keep moving. I'd rather limit the number of monsters we have to deal with."

The two ponies trotted quickly down the seemingly endless hallway, passing several sets of doors. Twilight frowned and squinted, searching for clues as they passed the eighth set of doors. There continued to be no detectable visual changes to the hall itself, only the doors marked that they had moved at all. The wrinkled carpeting and off-set wooden panels seemed to reach endlessly into the grey-black distance until it became too far to see any details.

Twilight glanced at Luna. "So…who is dreaming this hallway? I'm pretty sure I left that last dream with the Ursa Minor behind and now we're somewhere else… Right?"

Luna slowed her trot to a walking pace and bit her lip in thought. "To be honest, Twilight, I don't know. I keep looking at the background magic that's holding all of these dreams together. It makes no sense at all. I passed through a blank void before I came here. It too was like a dream without a dreamer. The hallway just materialized while I was looking for you. It appeared just before you burst through that door. How did you find this place?"

Twilight shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was running to escape from the Ursa Minor through a forest of very unconvincing looking bamboo when I noticed what looked like a building and a door. I wanted to find safety and it felt right, so I dived right in."

"It is very fortuitous that we found each other again. The spell that connected me to your dreaming mind must have been pulling us back together. It certainly would fit with my own experience arriving here." Luna frowned and paused to stamp a wrinkle in the carpet flat. "Perhaps I had some part in rescuing you after all."

Twilight raised an eyebrow and started to open her mouth before Luna continued on in a hushed tone.

"Ever since I've regained consciousness here – whatever you want to call it - it seems that my hard-won knowledge of dream magic has been put into question. It does not help that I am so out of practice I cannot seem to remember all of it. One might imagine that it's not my special talent at all."

"What?" Twilight turned to face Luna head on. "What do you mean by it being your 'special talent'?"

Luan leaned back away from Twilight, her eyes refusing to return Twilight's unflinching stare. "I do not know what to say, it is just what my cutie mark is telling me." Luna ducked her chin and started forward again, slipping past Twilight. She paused at the next set of doors and looked at the one on her left. "Does that seem strange to you?"

"Well," Twilight started. She paused as the door to Luna's right made a click sound and swung open slowly into the hall. Twilight shared a glance with Luna for a moment before she moved to peek around the edge.

Beyond the doorway lay a brightly lit pasture with a few short trees growing in a cluster near the horizon. A light breeze rustled the grass near the door, bringing with it the smell of hay and water and sunshine. Besides the swish of the grass and whisper of wind, it was eerily silent. In the middle distance, on a gentle incline, was a blot of red amid all the green.

Luna licked her lips nervously and stepped closer to the open door. "Is that somepony there?"

Twilight squinted, leaning forward slightly. "Maybe? I can't really tell from this far. Do you think we should go in…er, out?"

"Let me check the surrounding magics first, these dreams shouldn't be connected like this. The Nightmare told me earlier that the creature doing this is polluting the natural order of things here. It's infuriating that I haven't been able to make sense of what I'm seeing."

Twilight nodded. "Ok."

Luna smiled and moved to the threshold, her eyes already looking past the surface layer of the dreams. _It's about time I took the lead. None of this makes any sense but I will be damned if I let the opportunity to do some studying pass me by. I know Twilight wouldn't_.

Twilight watched Luna's horn light up. She tried to pay attention to what the princess was doing. Twilight felt the small hairs along her spine stand on end but when she looked down the hall it remained empty and endless as always. A quick glance behind her confirmed it was equally empty as the other direction. Still, the hair stayed on end and itched.

Twilight rolled her shoulders to shake off the sensation and looked back out the door to the wind swept plain. The tiny red patch remained still as a stone, its details obscured by distance and the tall grass. Twilight could easily imagine that it was some pony relaxing in the sunny dreamscape. A few lazy clouds drifted by in that perfect periwinkle sky, followed slowly by their shadows on the grass.

"This strata – this layering isn't natural. It looks…hmm, why does this look familiar?" Luna muttered to herself, her attention focused on the delicate underpinning of natural magic. "I don't think there should be any danger, I just don't know if this gets us any closer to finding my sister."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak when she heard a soft click of a door opening. She whipped her head around and saw one of the doors further down the hallway was already open. She was certain it was closed when she had looked a moment ago. Now, a Celestia-sized, full figured version of Luna stood in the hall looking back over her shoulder at Twilight. She winked back at Twilight as she stepped through the door and out of the hallway.

_Well, that's surreal._ Twilight blinked and tapped Luna on the back. "Hey, I just saw the Element of Magic go through a door!"

"What? Where?" Luna snapped her head around to look down the hallway. "The Element of Magic was in here?"

"Yeah, she just went through that door!"

Twilight pointed but when she looked back toward Luna, her face drained of color and her eyes became pinpricks and her voice took on a hollow tone. "Sweet Faust…"

Luna pursed her lips and blinked, unsure of her own expression. A shift in the light drew Luna's attention back toward the open door at her side. She turned her head with what seemed like a glacial slowness and caught sight of an impossibly huge shape as it descended like a missile into the middle of the breeze-swept pasture out of the corner of her eye . A talon of titanic proportions and pure darkness slammed into the ground directly on top of the splash of red they had spotted. The impact sent chunks of earth and plants sailing in all directions.

The huge talon closed just as fast as it hit. It moved with impossible speed for something so big. It yanked the dreamer with it back into the sky. As it pulled away, the dream itself started to collapse and break apart. The fluffy clouds, the grass, and little trees followed the claw, pulled by the gravity of the captured dreamer, their very color separating from them like wet ink. The web of natural magics that held everything together twisted into a torturous form, then the talon and all the matter in the dreamscape vanished, leaving a familiar grey void behind.

Luna stared, wide eyed into the new abyss as the strands of magic righted themselves into something approaching 'normal.' The warm breeze that had swept through the dream turned cold as it too succumbed to the sudden entropy in the wake of the dreaming mind's departure. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she realized what the void she had traveled through earlier must have once been.

"I-I'm glad we didn't g-go that way." Twilight took an unsteady step away from the void beyond the door frame. Her voice shuddered as she sank down to her haunches. "What in all creation are we up against, Luna?"

Luna worked her mouth but her lungs refused to lend her a voice.

After a long moment, Luna reached out and pushed the door closed. She couldn't bear to look at the empty space any longer. She turned and held her hoof out to Twilight as she blinked tears from her eyes. "I have no idea, Twilight. Everything…_everything_ I have witnessed tonight is impossible. It cannot be. All that I know of dreamwalking and the natural flow of magic that makes dreaming what it is tells me this!"

Luna shook her head, the fear in her eyes faded as her mouth set itself in an angry line. "I have years of experience with this. I am not some foal come lately! Some…_thing_ has my sister and now it takes even this from me?"

Luna's nostrils flared as she stamped a hoof hard against the hallway floor. "I will not stand for it! I am Luna, Princess of the Night! And no pony or spirit shall best me in my own demesne!"

Twilight looked at the floor for a moment, her eyes flicking back and forth as she thought. She bit her lip and looked up. "Can you beat it though? Is your magic strong enough to win against something that can…that can do_that_?"

Luna growled with her teeth bared for a moment and then looked down at Twilight. Her regal, beautiful eyes were hard. "With your help, I think we can defeat this monstrosity." Luna held out her hoof. "Are you still with me, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight grinned fiercely. "Yes, Princess, I'm with you. But I think you might need to teach me some advanced dream spells. Quickly."

Canterlot Castle: Main Courtyard Promanade

Delusion chuckled to himself_. This is going better than I ever could have expected_. _These imbecilic equines have almost no defenses beyond some air reserves, the guards, their Princesses, and the Elements. It's almost_too_ easy!_

He smiled to himself as he strolled with a spring in his step up the promenade toward the main body of the Castle. Delusion could feel the dreaming expanding out into the city proper; hundreds of sleeping minds were being gathered with every passing moment. Canterlot would be his within the hour and not a hoof or horn would be raised to stop him.

_So what if I don't have Celestia's magic? _ _With all the minds I've gathered I should be able to begin the transformation almost immediately._

Delusion paused below the ancient willow trees that lined the promenade and craned his head upward to look at the blooms. _Perhaps I will call upon my bastard children after this. The gryphons would be good help, at least at first, with rounding up all these ponies. We'll enjoy a grand feast, and then I will teach them the meaning of fear the same as I have done with these pitiful creatures. One by one, the mortal races will run screaming before my shadow just like in the good ol' days!_

Within the dreaming, Delusion's giant talon lifted another pony mind from the gathered dreams. He lifted it to his beak, opening wide to swallow it whole. The tasty morsel vanished down his gullet with a satisfying finality. Delusion could feel the spirit within him dissolving, losing its consistency, and adding all it was to his power. The life energy of the mind nourished him; the fear of its last moments as he plucked it from some idyllic landscape added spice to it. The false hope and sense of safety the mind enjoyed before being ripped out of its dreamspace gave it weight and filled him.

Already Delusion could feel his power growing. Soon the Titan's spirit would be no more and he could fully change this pitiful horse body into something befitting his greatness. Soon his wings would darken the sky and his talons would once again bend the world as he saw fit!

_Wait_.

Delusion looked up at the moon overhead. It loomed over him, high and bright in the clear sky. Luna was still unaccounted for. As far as he could tell none of the Elements were present at the Castle. _I cannot afford to be overconfident. I have to move faster! I must consume more! I must complete my transformation before that damnable Princess can organize an effective resistance._

He frowned and turned back towards the main castle building. There were guardsponies asleep inside. If he neutralized them first then any resistance that they brought against him would lack the aid of trained soldiers. Once he had consumed them, the process could start. It would only be a matter of time before he had enough accumulated pony spirits to complete the transformation.

Then no resistance, no matter what their forces, could stand against him.

Equestria: Presumably Underground

It seemed like it took forever for light to penetrate the darkness and illuminate Fleur's form in the hall. Fancypants stepped forward into the lab proper and looked over the state of his on-going experiments. It had been a long series of weeks since his last visit and he was curious about the results that had been generated.

The lightstones he had installed gave off a cool white light from the low ceiling and gave the large room a hospital like feel. Several cloth partitions broke the space up into semi-enclosed sections that held different supplies and experiments. Low lying counters lined the walls, interspaced with racks of metallic shelves and locked cabinets. Hoses and rubber piping ran along the floor and more than a few hung from rungs set into the stone along the walls and roof. It smelled of dust and formaldehyde. Besides Fancypants' own hoofsteps, the only sound was a rhythmic hiss from behind one of the partition sheets.

Fancypants walked down the clear center aisle of the room until the path intersected with another. He glanced back at Fleur where she lingered by the door. "Shut the door behind you. It will lock on its own. This area is safe to use your magic, but do not try to teleport out. The crystals that surround the room will intercept it, and let's just say you would not like the results."

Fleur frowned at him but reached out to pull the door as he turned and headed deeper into the chamber. Past the intersection, Fancypants stopped and pulled back a sheet to look in on his last experiment. The small 'room' held several machines that were enchanted or otherwise powered to keep air and fluids moving in and out through the emaciated body of a changeling that was strapped to a bed. Fancypants nodded as he looked at the readouts.

His charge caught up with him a moment later. He could hear her sharp intake of breath from the walkpath. She came up beside him and looked down at the still technically breathing, unconscious creature, tracing the lines of tubing with her eyes as it wove through both natural and artificial holes in its chitinous exoskeleton. One of the air bladders chose that moment to compress and caused the limp form to jerk as oxygen was forcibly fed into the body.

Fleur jumped back a half step, her eyes wide in animalistic fright. "What in the name of Faust is _that_ doing here?"

Fancypants smirked and nodded at the sedated changeling. "You like? I picked it up cheap after the wedding last month."

Fleur scowled at Fanctpants. "You know what I mean."

He grinned and looked back at the bed and its occupant. "I'm studying it, obviously. Natural shape changing would be useful, no? Additionally, I am studying its feeding and survival mechanisms. It's all very interesting, wouldn't you agree? Oh, by-the-by, try not to love me too much, my dear. I'd hate for it to wake up again."

Fleur's brow knit tighter as she tossed her mane. "In your dreams, you old horse. I still fail to see why you would keep a changeling here. Dissect it and be done with it. Or perhaps you want its queen to burst in here and take it back?"

"It isn't a concern, dear Fleur. The crystals here block everything. Even if they didn't, this chamber is sealed and buried so deep no pony or bug could hope to penetrate it, even if they knew where it was." Fancypants slipped his monocle into the breast pocket of his jacket. "Besides, wouldn't a changeling's powers of shapeshifting and telepathic empathy be useful if we could harness it? I should imagine that you can see how it would make your jobs so much easier to accomplish."

Fancypants' horn lit up as he levitated a clipboard to himself along with an attached pencil. He flipped the sheets of paper until he came to a clear section at the back and jotted down the readings from his machines. "I want freedom, Fleur, real and true freedom. Money cannot buy it but power can. Knowledge is power, as the old adage goes."

Fleur eyed the changeling for a moment. Fancypants could see the wheels turning behind her eyes as anger gave way to curiosity. She licked her lips nervously. "What have you learned?"

Fancypants tossed the clipboard back on the low table he'd pulled it from. "So far? Only that I'll have to revise my estimates. It really should have died of malnourishment by now."

Fancypants spared the creature not a glance as her stepped back out onto the walk path. "Shall we get started? The night is still young and I want to get this experiment started. 'Glory be to those who dare,' and all that. If this goes well, perhaps we'll both taste true freedom by the morning light."

He led the way toward the back wall of the laboratory, where a raised section of floor ran the length of the room. The lightstones placed here threw the equipment and cabinetry into stark relief and cast deep shadows. Burners, vials, tubes, mortars and pestles, and various tools for measuring, mixing, separating, and recording results sat in neat, orderly rows on the long table there.

Fancypants approached a set of cabinets with thicker, reinforced doors and clear panels set into its sides. A touch of his telekinesis opened the doors and he gestured grandly at it. "Place the potion and the stone inside. It should keep things contained if it turns…explosive."

Fleur lifted the items out of her pocket and examined them for a moment. They seemed so harmless and innocuous. The bottle could not hold more than a few ounces of liquid. It was plain to the point of boring, covered in slip of straw and twine and topped with a clear glass stopper. It didn't even slosh as she moved it. The stone, on the other hoof, at least looked interesting. It was obviously a piece of statuary with the smooth feel of worked marble while it looked more like granite. She knew it was a talon from the statue of Discord in the castle gardens, but even without that knowledge she could have told in a glance it was some avian claw.

She set both items inside the cabinet and stepped back as Fancypants closed it with the hiss of an airtight seal. His horn started to glow as he moved the claw and potion around remotely. Fleur watched him for a moment before letting her gaze wander over the countertop and its myriad tools and jars. She didn't have the mind for the deeper forms of science or magical theorem. Fleur fancied herself more a practical applicationist. Other ponies could figure out the hows and whys of things, she was a doer, a taker.

One of the jars piqued her interest in particular. It was simple glass dome over a stand, but inside it held a sparkling strand of gemstone that was impossibly thin and curled about on itself in a most un-gem-like manner. Fleur leaned in closer and starred at the odd filament. It was the color of topaz and glittered under the lightstones. The more she looked at it, the more Fleur was certain what she was looking at was actually blonde mane hair.

"Wherever did this come from?" She tapped the glass dome gently.

Fancypants spared her a glance before turning back to whatever he was doing as he positioned instruments around himself. "It's crystal pony hair."

"Excuse me? Did you say '_crystal pony_?'" Fleur giggled. "I didn't know you believed in faery tales. I suppose next you'll say it comes from the Crystal Empire itself?"

"Of course not. I acquired it from a traveling mare some months ago. She came looking for information on the fabled _Alicorn Amulet_." Fancypants adjusted some sort of sensor, turning the large dials on it to some configuration whose purpose eluded Fleur. "She was willing to trade for it. I like to think I got the better end of the bargin."

"So you traded her information on one mythical object for another?" Fleur shook her head and her tone dripped with sarcasm. "Such a shrewd business stallion. At least this bauble is pretty."

"It's also worth your weight in diamonds. If this little diversion doesn't pan out, I was thinking about doing some serious research into Emperor Sombra's lost castle. How's that strike you?"

Fleur shrugged. "If it will get me out of this muggy Equestrian summer for a little while, why not? It's been too long since I last went skiing."

"Good. Now, be quiet." Fancypants turned his attention back to the potion and the stone in the shielded cabinet. The glass stopper wiggled in his horngrip for a moment before coming loose with a muffled 'pop.' A faint green mist started to gently seep out of the opening and drifted to the cabinet's floor. "I'd rather not be distracted while I tinker with powerful artifacts."


End file.
